El Remate

Padel > Frat Parties?

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:41:46 GMT

Bienvenidos a El Remate! I’m Aris, a padel-obsessed Missourian who spent two years living in Argentina and Spain to deeply understand the sport’s culture, strategy, and business. I’ve played and competed across 3 continents and 12 countries, and recently started documenting my journey on Instagram.

Each week, I curate what matters in padel: new US club openings, technique tips, my takes on international headlines and pro drama, plus insider knowledge from the global circuit. Subscribe for weekly updates! 📧

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Happy National Padel Month to those who celebrate! Just wrapped up my time at the US Open Padel Championships in NYC, and holy cow I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this sport in the US. Huge shoutout USA Padel and Padel Haus for putting on a kickass tournament. Getting to witness more American-born players getting into the game & learning from the international communities that helped bring the sport here puts a huge smile to my face.

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The GOAT is coming for American college padel. If the sport is going to become mainstream Stateside, campuses might be one of the most important battlegrounds.

Meanwhile, new clubs are opening across TX, FL, and NY, existing clubs are adding courts, Nike is now circling the women’s game, and the Golden Boys are once again doing Golden Boy things.

Also in this issue:
— Which one of us is playing left side?
— Padel capital heats up
— And the best seats in the house are…

…and plenty more. Dale campeón!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

DUS Padel just opened its doors, bringing a 26,000-square-foot indoor padel and wellness club to West Palm Beach, FL. The club features six indoor courts (five doubles and one singles), saunas, salt-water cold plunges, a recovery room, pilates, an organic café, and the first official NOX Pro Shop in the US, positioning itself as a “third place” between home and work.
The Padel Collective just opened, bringing a Mediterranean-inspired padel experience to Austin, TX with five indoor courts, a wellness zone with sauna & cold plunges, fitness room, coworking space, and an on-site Revolución café.
Pop’s Padel just opened five indoor courts in Freeport, NY (within greater NYC), including four doubles courts and one singles court, all with 30-40-foot ceilings. The facility features men’s and women’s locker rooms, a retail shop, lounge, and food & beverage offerings, with lessons, clinics, leagues, and tournaments on the menu.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

From Boston to Indianapolis to San Francisco, a growing number of clubs have recently been adding courts as they run into capacity constraints.

📈 Up Your Game

So Who Should Play Left?

Padel players love treating their side of the court like a personality trait (right side represent!). But in this 7-minute video (in Spanish) from Mejora Tu Padel, Coach Pavel argues you should play the side that makes the most sense for your partnership.

Assuming you’re both right-handed players:

Taller players are typically better on the left. They can contact the ball higher, especially on overheads, meaning they generally have an easier time defending the net and handling lobs without retreating as far.
The better smasher shouldn’t necessarily play on the left. A right-handed player on the left can have a tougher time hitting an effective bajada or attacking overheads toward the cage, while the right-side player has different angles and options available.
And if you didn’t know by now… the faster mover and “overall better player” should play on the left, given that they (1) have to cover more ground, and (2) have more opportunities to step into the middle, poach balls, and take over points.

And on a more tactical note, keep this in mind: if you’re heading into a new set and the left side has completely drained your legs, you can legally switch sides between sets.

So next time you’re arguing with your buddy on who “gets” to play left, forget what side you normally play and instead ask “which side gives this partnership the best chance to win?” Suerte che!

🌍 International Happenings

Argentine GOAT Bets Big on College Padel (🇺🇸)

For those unaware, there’s been a massive push to bring padel to American college campuses over the last year or so. Now, things are getting official. The American Collegiate Padel League just announced its inaugural season and a new partnership with padel GOAT Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín, becoming Wilson ACPL by Bela, billed as “the first national collegiate padel league in the US.” The inaugural season brings together 35+ schools and 200+ student-athletes across four regions, with regional competition running through November and national finals in March.

The 16x former World No. 1 will serve as the league’s lead ambassador and advisor alongside founding partner Wilson. Bela has already gotten his feet wet in the US through his sponsorship with Chicago-based Wilson and as Sporting Director of the Miami Premier Padel P1. But this partnership feels like a much bigger bet on the American market.

The league has cited goals of eventually opening scholarship pathways for international talent, something Bela himself highlighted. I’m skeptical that happens anytime soon, but I’m particularly excited about two other things:

Bela can serve as a bridge between America’s rapidly growing player base and the still-floundering number of Anglophone players who can’t name a single top-10 pro. Having a legitimate global icon attached to the college game could help turn players into fans of the professional game, too.
Padel is tailor-made for the next generation. It’s social and wellness-oriented, giving folks a reason to hang out without needing a keg in the room. Gen Z’s loneliness problem and decreasing alcohol consumption is well documented, while the broader longevity movement has made lifelong sports increasingly attractive.

On a personal note, I did the whole frat thing at UT Austin. While it was a blast full of stupid shenanigans, I wouldn’t be surprised if those four years took a year or two off my life. Padel has given me more friendships (more quickly), and I can still play it at 70. Had it existed in college, I would’ve prioritized it over Greek life without second thought. And I probably would’ve ended up with a sick group of multinational friends in the process.

In the long term, it’ll be fascinating to see how American college padel matures: the next big social network, a D1 sport, or hell, maybe both.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Threepeat Incoming? (🇳🇱🇩🇪🇯🇵)

Rotterdam had a familiar ending, but getting there was anything but predictable. Three of the tournament’s top four men’s pairs were knocked out in the quarter-finals, opening the door for a potential upset which never came. Golden Boys Coello / Tapia powered through, beating Stupaczuk / Sanz 6-3, 6-2 in the final for their 10th title of 2026 and 41st together in the Premier Padel era. On the women’s side, Sánchez / Ustero also went back-to-back, beating Josemaría / González 6-4, 6-4 for their fourth title of the season.

Now, they get to do it all over again this week. The circuit moves straight to Germany for the Düsseldorf P2, with Coello / Tapia and Sánchez / Ustero looking for a third consecutive title. But both will have their work cut out for them. No. 2s Chingotto / Galán are defending their men’s title, while No. 1s Brea / Triay are defending their women’s side. With a P1 in Milan next week, this three-tournament sprint could make for a very interesting stretch run.

Meanwhile on the international front, the Asian Games just wrapped up in Nagoya, Japan, where padel made its debut. Japan took down Indonesia to lock in the women’s gold medal. In the men’s draw, Qatar took gold over Malaysia.

🎯 Quick Hits

Alas, Nike is now eyeing the women’s game, reportedly exploring signings with top players including Delfi Brea, Martina Calvo, and Andrea Ustero. No deals have been confirmed. (🇺🇸🇦🇷🇪🇸)
Madrid-based racket-sports platform Playtomic has acquired fitness and wellness software company TIMP, adding more than 3,500 sports centers to its ecosystem. (🇪🇸)
Czech “Strava for padel” app ACE (which launched earlier this year) has attracted a 50% investment from investment group Miton after reaching ~9,000 users, reportedly more than half of the country’s regular padel players. (🇨🇿)
French Tennis Federation vice president Éric Largeron says some regions may now have too many tournaments, and even too many clubs. (🇫🇷)
Padel Galis just partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Silver Foundation as part of a plan to build 100+ courts over the next three years. (🇸🇦)
Where should you sit at a pro padel tournament? On one hand, behind the glass might have the best tactical view, but along the side might allow you to truly appreciate the absurd speed of pro padel...

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Goa, 🇮🇳
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! And if you have any feedback, news to share, or are interested in becoming a preferred partner of El Remate, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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US Padel Is Booming... Kinda

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:42:25 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

US padel is growing, but don’t believe everything you hear. Club closures, distressed acquisitions, and some embellished metrics suggest the “American padel boom” is a bit more complicated than the “next big thing.”

Plus, Premier Padel resumes, betting is officially coming to the global circuit, Lacoste just entered the chat, and padel is making its Asian Games debut. Let’s have a week!

Also in this issue:
— The “70% Rule”
— Pro Padel League playa recap
— More courts in NYC?
— The optimal overgrip thickness

…and plenty more. Bueno, let’s get into it!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

The Hive just held its grand opening, bringing five indoor courts to Salt Lake City, UT, along with showers, a café, saunas, and air conditioning. Co-founded by Hollye Shepherd and Ecuadorian former semi-pro soccer player Daniel Lasso, the club also boasts communal lounges, a mezzanine, and even plans for asados. Inspired by the social culture of Latin America and Europe, patrons are already saying that the club “feels like the United Nations.”
Des Moines is now home to Iowa’s first and only padel club, with one indoor and one outdoor court. Locally owned and partnered with 21st Century Rehab, PUDL Padel features a private gym, physical therapy, and plans to soon add a sauna and cold plunge. The club also serves locally sourced food and coffee, and will host team-based leagues and social events.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

In Tarrytown, NY (just outside NYC), The Padel Club is seeking approval to transform a long-vacant building into a six-court facility featuring four indoor and two outdoor courts, a lounge, and fitness + wellness amenities. Plans are still awaiting village approval…
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📈 Up Your Game

The “70% Rule”

Hate to break it to you, but there’s a solid chance you’re trying too hard.

According to Otro Nivel Padel, one of the biggest technique killers in padel is hitting harder than you need to. As part of this 14-minute video that explains seven techniques that improve your game, Coach Sven recommends keeping most of your shots around 70% power.

Once you start swinging at 90-100%, you over-jeopardize control, precision, and feel for the ball. Your technique gets rushed, your body gets out of sync, and unforced errors start piling up.

The key is to remind yourself to slow down. Prepare slowly, keep the racket close to your body, and avoid making huge movements that require last-second adjustments.

Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Padel Is Growing Stateside, But We Gotta Keep It Real (🇺🇸)

For those who don’t know by now, I’m *cautiously* optimistic about padel’s growth in the US. I genuinely believe in the sport’s potential here, but I’m not afraid to call “BS” when I see it. Candidly, there’s no shortage of folks with ulterior motives trying to sell padel as the “next big thing,” often with inflated projections, cherry-picked statistics lacking the full data set, and enough PR to make you grimace. So naturally, when Mistrano Consulting released the numbers in their 2026 US Padel Report last week, I had to dive in and share my six reactions / takeaways below:

The report estimates 463,283 active padel players in the US, a far cry from the oft-cited “one-million-player” figure, which I suspect “counts” people who’ve simply picked up a padel racket at one point in their life. As someone who plays religiously and follows the industry closely, this estimate feels much closer to reality.
Over half of all existing US courts have been built since January 2025, which interestingly parallels the UK’s recent announcement boasting more courts sitting in the planning system than what’s already built.
The competitive player pool is rising, with USA Padel reporting (1) tournament volume more than doubling and (2) individual membership growing 53.5% YoY.
Florida, Texas, and California’s combined share of US facilities has fallen from 65% to 50.5%, suggesting growth is spreading beyond areas with “unfair advantages,” that (as a generalization) have (1) better year-round weather that make the sport more accessible, and (2) larger Hispanic / Latino populations who are already familiar with the sport.
There’s growing crossover with pickleball, with 39.4% of U.S. facilities now offering both sports, up from 36.7% last year. I think this is fantastic, and something the US padel community should be embracing rather than turning its nose up at—after all, racket sports as a whole are trending Stateside (deriving from what I believe is part of our country’s greater focus on longevity). LA-based Padel Up perfectly embodies this movement, which hosts “PTP” (Padel, Tennis, Pickleball) competitions where local clubs compete across all three sports, with an overall winner crowned. And like it or not, pickleball is gaining traction throughout Europe, even in padel’s global capital.
As someone who vocally prioritizes community building over pop culture hype, it would be foolish to dismiss recent celebrity exposure from Drake, Michael Bublé, and Jimmy Fallon, who have certainly helped raise awareness.

Look… to me, US padel is certainly growing, but it’s not the hockey-stick growth some would have you believe. Club closures and distressed acquisitions are a reminder that hype alone doesn’t make a business viable. Sure the opportunity is real, but so are the risks. Padel has a deep, distinct cultural fabric, and those who neglect to genuinely understand it, experience it, and live it are going to be in for a rude awakening.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Waves Made in Mexico As International Race Heats Up

Many of the pros headed to Playa Del Carmen last week for the US/Canada/Mexico-based Pro Padel League’s third event of the season, following prior stops in LA and NYC. And holy cow, the Mexico Waves have quite the fanbase…

Its no surprise, then, that the hometown heroes took the men’s title, with Maxi Arce and David Gala beating Miami Padel Club 6-4, 7-6 in the men’s final. Gala is now a perfect 6-0 in PPL play, with two titles in two events. The San Diego Stingrays took the women’s crown behind Claudia Jensen and Veronica Virseda, who are also 6-0 together this season. With one regular-season event left, just 8 points separate 7th through 10th in the race for December’s finals in Miami.

Premier Padel now resumes with this week’s Rotterdam P2, where Coello / Tapia and Brea / Triay return to defend their titles. The tournament marks the start of a three-week European swing through Germany and Italy as the race to the Barcelona Finals heats up.

In other news, Audemars Piguet hosted its first Pro-Am padel tournament in the South of France, with Tapia among the headliners.

And finally on the international front:

Then-No.-1-duo-now-enemies Lebrón & Galán will now play together representing Spain at November’s World Cup in Doha.
Speaking of the Padel World Cup, the Euro qualifiers just wrapped up, with Germany qualifying both men’s and women’s teams and joining the Netherlands and Great Britain as Europe’s other qualifiers. Switzerland’s men were notably absent after a registration dispute between players and Swiss Padel…
Argentina (women’s) and Paraguay (men’s) took the first-ever South American Games padel golds in front of a sold-out 4,100-person crowd.
Padel also makes its Asian Games debut this week in Nagoya, Japan, with 43 pairs chasing the sport’s first continental medals.

🎯 Quick Hits

Alas, Premier Padel and the FIP have opened the door to regulated sports betting, appointing Sportradar as their betting integrity partner, alongside iGame Media as their betting technology and distribution partner. The ecosystem will launch in 2027. (🌍)
The Athletic is bringing some of soccer’s biggest names to the padel court with Truth or Padel, a new video series. Gary Neville, Jack Wilshere and Thiago Alcântara are among the first guests. (🇬🇧)
Court manufacturer Padel Galis has launched Galis Lab, a 550-square-meter showroom and test center near Valencia where brands, startups, and partners can trial new products under real playing conditions. The move builds on a business that reportedly generated over €27 million in revenue in 2025 and has installed more than 10,000 courts across 85+ countries. (🇪🇸)
Lacoste has officially entered the technical padel equipment market, launching its first complete collection of rackets, shoes, bags and apparel. Developed in partnership with Tecnifibre, the lineup includes two rackets priced at €250 and €350. (🇫🇷)
English soccer legend Steven Gerrard is investing in a new sports and educational development in the UK, including up to 16 padel courts alongside six new 3G football pitches. The project aims to expand access to sport and youth facilities, and is subject to planning approval. (🇬🇧)
NOX just unveiled its 2027 racket collection, featuring Agustín Tapia and Miguel Lamperti to showcase its upcoming racket range. (🇪🇸)
The US National Junior Padel Team will compete in the Pan American Junior Circuit Finals in San Diego from October 8-10, with 28 players across six divisions. (🇺🇸)
Player community debates:
- How do you find your right overgrip thickness?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Belo Horizonte, 🇧🇷
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Who Is Padel Really For?

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:43:50 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

In another English-speaking market, not all padel is being built the same. Big money is chasing premium venues, while cheaper operators are proving the sport doesn’t need a luxury clubhouse to thrive.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ investment platform is getting into padel, with the NBA and NFL on its longer-term wish list. Plus, AI cameras are coming for America’s newest clubs.

Also in this issue:
— Your serve gets therapy
— The pros return to North America
— Women’s No. 1 gets a documentary
— The hilarious story of UK padel’s earliest days

…and plenty more. Dale vamos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

Virginia-based Epic Padel, a club operator and investor focused on growing padel across North America, just opened its Milwaukee, WI location with eight indoor courts. The club features locker rooms & showers, a warm-up area, social lounge, co-working spaces, and grab-and-go food, with coaching, leagues, tournaments and junior programming rounding out the experience. Each court also features Clutch AI cameras to give players post-match stats and highlights via Epic’s app.
Just outside NYC, Cross Court Pickle + Padel is bringing Westchester County its first publicly accessible padel courts. The location in Hawthorne, NY features four indoor padel courts alongside six pickleball courts, plus food & beverage, retail, spectator areas, clinics, leagues, and social events. The club will also feature PlaySight AI technology for recording, live streaming, and performance tracking.

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📈 Up Your Game

Rethink Your Serve

Think your serve is finished when you hit the ball? Nope. Rather, it’s finished when you’re in net position.

In this 12-minute video, Coach Mauri from Hello Padel critiques the serves of beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. A few takeaways:

Your serve should give you enough time to get forward and establish your net position before your opponents can attack.
Starting with the basics, bounce the ball around waist height, and drive from high to low rather than “spooning” the ball.
After the serve, don’t sprint blindly toward the net.
1. Arrive in position before your opponent makes contact, then use a split step so you’re balanced and ready to react.
2. Don’t obsess over reaching the perfect position. If you can’t comfortably reach that ideal position, move more diagonally and prioritize covering the dangerous area.

Remember, your first two steps after the serve can matter more than the serve itself. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Building Two Different Padels (🇬🇧)

As an American, it’s genuinely interesting watching padel accelerate this fast in the UK. It’s a more mature market than ours, culturally close, English-speaking, and the pace of headlines this summer alone (e.g., around the recent London P1 and insane pipeline of court builds) makes it worth paying attention to from across the Atlantic.

And as if there wasn’t enough already going on over there, The Padel Club, a Cheshire-based operator backed by high-profile British soccer and cricket legends, just raised over $4 million from PXN Ventures to open eight new sites, taking its network to 85 courts. It’s on track for ~100% revenue growth this year, and the money is chasing BIG demand: the LTA reported 860K people played padel in Britain last year (which makes me even more skeptical about the “1 million padel players in the US” narrative), more than double 2024.

Also worth noting, this isn’t investment flowing to a budget operator. The Padel Club’s model runs through clubhouse-anchored flagship venues inside major leisure destinations, its TraffordCity site sits alongside an indoor ski slope and an indoor skydiving center, with a similar approach now planned for Birmingham.

This really matters because the money is coming in before the sport has decided what it wants to be. A new UK Padel Report found 60% of English venues still sit in wealthier postcodes, with courts in London and parts of Manchester running $80 to $130 an hour. At the same time, a wave of operators in former industrial towns are proving the sport works just as well at a fraction of the price, in some of the country’s most economically overlooked postcodes, with players coming back more often than at the premium clubs. “Padel is a working-class sport,” says one of the operators behind that shift. The big question is which one the fresh capital ends up building more of, and this week’s raise went to the flagship-leisure-complex model rather than the community one.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

The Calm Before the Storm (🇲🇽🇦🇷🇳🇱)

The Premier Padel tour is taking a breather after Roland Garros, but the pro scene is still far from quiet.

First, US/Canada/Mexico-based Pro Padel League is back in action this week, with its third event of the season landing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Going into this week’s tournament, the DC Matrix sits atop the league table, with the Florida Goats and Toronto Polar Bears closely behind. The tournament will stream on YouTube, with the Finals airing on CNBC.

Meanwhile, Delfi Brea is getting the documentary treatment. Adventures Delfi, the latest episode of Red Bull TV’s Padel Life, follows the 26-year-old Argentine from leaving Buenos Aires at 17 to becoming the women’s world No. 1 alongside Gemma Triay. The 43-minute episode gets into the less glamorous side of going pro: homesickness, partner changes, injuries, losing, and trying to find a home between Argentina and Spain.

And then there’s Miguel Lamperti. The 47-year-old, white-haired Argentine legend will step away from Premier Padel at the end of 2026, though “[his] body doesn’t want to retire yet.” He plans to keep playing FIP events, exhibitions, and clinics before spending 2027 learning the coaching trade.

Finally, the post-Paris shuffle is underway. Paquito Navarro / Martín Di Nenno have climbed to No. 4 in the rankings, while Sanyo Gutiérrez is reuniting with Maxi Sánchez Blasco for the final stretch of the season. The new pairings begin rolling out at the Rotterdam P2 (Sept. 28-Oct. 4).

🎯 Quick Hits

Real Madrid’s Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ investment platform, NXTPLAY Capital, will add a padel project to its portfolio before year’s end, with plans to enter the NBA and NFL down the road. (🇧🇪)
Closing out the Senior World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina defended its men’s title with a 3-2 comeback over Spain, while Spain took the women’s crown for a fourth straight year, beating a Team USA side that reached the final for the first time. (🇦🇷🇪🇸🇺🇸)
Spain released its preliminary World Cup squad ahead of November’s championship in Doha, with Ale Galán, Arturo Coello, and Gemma Triay among the closest to locks. (🇪🇸)
South Africa is having its first-ever national padel championship, set for Cape Town this October. (🇿🇦)
Bogotá inaugurated the country’s first padel court built into public space, part of a push to reclaim land beneath the city’s bridges. (🇨🇴)
Padel has entered the University of Pristina in Kosovo, where the amateur player base has tripled every year since 2024, now sitting at 9,000. (🇽🇰)
The Argentina Padel Tour just headed to a Buenos Aires shopping mall, setting up courts on the first floor next to the retail traffic. (🇦🇷)
Tennis Wales appointed its first-ever National Development Manager for Padel and is launching dedicated padel channels. (🇬🇧)
Police forces from ten European countries came together in Monaco for the inaugural European Police Padel Championship, with Monaco ultimately taking the title over Sweden. (🇲🇨🇸🇪)
Community musings:
- Before the UK padel boom, there were five courts. One of the UK’s first padel pioneers tells the wonderfully chaotic story of building the country’s national teams in 2008 with four months, zero budget, and barely any players at home.

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Tripoli, 🇱🇾
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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“We Are Not a Serious Sport”

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:46:53 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Nike is looking to padel as a lifeline, with its stock trading near a 12-year low, while the UK is about to double its court count.

And the Golden Boys just won their fourth straight Paris Major in a third-set tiebreak, despite being one point away from biting the dust. Plus, one veteran pro says padel has a serious problem.

Also in this issue:
— The three chiquita patterns
— Are American clubs “ruining” the sport?
— Women’s padel gets a four-month pilot

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

No new court openings this week, but last week, we were graced with ten new courts across three states!

📈 Up Your Game

What to Do Post-Chiquita

Ever hit a chiquita then immediately wonder, “Do I go or stay?”

Welp, you’re not alone. The chiquita is one of padel’s most useful shots for turning defense into attack.

But hitting it is only half the battle. What you and your partner do next is what really creates the pressure.

In this 1-minute video, Coach Joel Molina breaks down the three basic chiquitas, with each having a different movement pattern:

Parallel: You hit it down the line → you go forward, while your partner stays back to protect the middle and cover defense.
Middle: You hit it toward the middle between your opponents → both of you go to the net.
Cross-court: You hit it cross-court → your partner goes forward, while you stay back. Your job is to protect the middle and cover the defensive space behind your partner.

Overall, your movement dictates whether you capitalize on the pressure you just created.

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🌍 International Happenings

More Courts Coming than What’s Already Built (🇬🇧)

Across the pond, the UK just counted 2,683 padel courts across 819 venues. Another 2,000+ courts are sitting in the planning system, either awaiting decision or approved and unbuilt, with 80-100 new applications filed every month. Local market experts are even considering this 2,000+ figure “conservative,” given that nearly 29% of applications don’t specify a court count, and so get defaulted to two courts.

Meanwhile, the US announced 1,000 padel courts across 31 states this April… and keep in mind, America has ~5x the UK’s population.

Beyond padel getting a “head start” in the UK thanks to its proximity to and cultural ties with continental Europe, the country has (so far) done a relatively better job building padel as a mass-participation sport. Disused tennis courts, leisure-center car parks, and even old five-a-side soccer pitches have been converted into court space, with local councils actively tendering public land for padel.

But look, padel in the UK is still far from perfect. Noise complaints have been blocking new club approvals in multiple cities. And like the US, pricing has drawn criticism for being opaque and expensive, while female participation is trailing well behind men’s. Fortunately, the US is still a relatively nascent market, giving it the flexibility to learn from what our fellow English-speaking, culturally similar “older brother” got right and where it went wrong.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

A Serious Tournament, But “Not a Serious Sport” (🇫🇷)

Last week’s Paris Major was one for the books. The tournament drew a record 81,000 fans across the week, up 26.5% from 2025, with ~15,000 packed into Philippe-Chatrier for Sunday’s finals.

On court, Golden Boys Coello / Tapia remain the Kings of Paris, winning their fourth straight Roland-Garros title, edging Chingotto / Galán 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. Chingalán even served for the championship in the third, but Tapia and Coello broke back before cruising through the tiebreak 7-1. It was their 40th meeting and the duo’s 27th title together. Highlights here.

The women’s final was a different movie altogether. Sánchez / Ustero obliterated Fernández / Calvo 6-2, 6-0 in just 71 minutes to claim their first Major together after falling in the Italy Major final back in June. Highlights here.

Looking ahead, Premier Padel takes a two-week break before the Rotterdam P2, from September 28 - October 4.

Additionally brewing in the Pro sphere:

Javi Garrido and Lucas Bergamini split after their Paris exit, while veteran Gonzalo Rubio blasted the constant reshuffling: “We’re still not a serious sport.” He’s calling for limits on partner changes by 2027.
Despite France boasting ~850K players and 4,000+ courts, no French men were directly admitted to the Paris Major’s 39 direct-entry spots.
Chingalán’s coach Jorge Martínez will finish out the 2026 season before shifting toward player development and coach education at Madrid’s M3 Padel Academy.

🎯 Quick Hits

Since announcing three racket models in late July, apparently Nike is also exploring a tournament sponsorship in Portugal. While padel may be the company’s lifeline amid its stock trading near a 12-year low, the sport remains lower-priority in North America vs. running and soccer. (🇺🇸)
Empower Padel and the LTA launched a four-month pilot to grow female participation across Britain, targeting 1,000 unique participants and 200 regular monthly players. (🇬🇧)
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina’s SVITO Padel Club in Kyiv was damaged in an overnight Russian strike on September 8. 💔 At least no injuries were reported. (🇺🇦)
French brands 4Padel and Babolat extended their equipment partnership another four (no pun intended) years, with a co-branded product line now in the works. (🇫🇷)
The FIP Senior World Cup kicked off its fourth edition in Buenos Aires (the first time Argentina has hosted), with defending champions Argentina (men) and Spain (women) headlining a field including ‘90s legends Alejandro Lasaigues and Roberto Gattiker returning to the court. (🇦🇷)
Juan Lebrón pulled off a “from downtown” x3 at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. (🇫🇷)
Community debates:
- Are American padel clubs “ruining the sport” with pricey court rentals and premium-everything club models, or are operators simply trying to make ends meet?
- Can your smash truly get more powerful with more experience, or does it all come down to natural strength?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Punta Hermosa, 🇵🇪
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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(Don’t) Believe the Hype?

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:44:34 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel participation in the U.S. jumped 14.5% in the first half of 2026, while pickleball managed just 1.3%. But is this a real flex, or just a misleading percentage?

Meanwhile, a new World No. 1 may be coming soon, and apparently the Pope needs another racket.

Also in this issue:
— Three tiny adjustments that’ll win you more matches
— 10 new courts across 3 states
— The racket weight debate
— England loses 183 tennis courts to… something

…and plenty more. Bueno, let’s get into it!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

PATL, a multi-location club with existing locations in Atlanta and Louisville and a Charleston club in the works, is expanding with a new dedicated indoor facility in Kirkland, WA (11 miles from downtown Seattle). The club will feature four indoor courts, plus a café and full-service bar, pro shop, and social space. Its opening timeline is TBD.

Now Open

The Point Racket & Social Club just opened on Johns Island in metro Charleston, SC, with two outdoor courts at a lakefront location. The club will offer instruction, open play, tournaments, a pro shop, and food & beverage.
Long Point Social Club just opened, bringing four dedicated padel courts to Houston, TX’s Spring Branch neighborhood alongside 12 pickleball courts. The club features an on-site dog park, all-day cafe, full-service restaurant, bar, and late-night cocktail lounge.

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📈 Up Your Game

Three Killer Adjustments You’re Forgetting About

If you keep losing matches but walk off thinking “we were def the better pair,” I hate to break it to you, but y’all… just weren’t.

Take it from this 13-minute video from The Padel IQ, which lays out small-but-deadly tactics that help you win more matches. My three biggest takeaways:

Quit changing direction because you can. If you’re putting an opponent under pressure, keep making them solve the same problem until they crack. Constantly switching from crosscourt to down-the-line (and vice versa) forces you and your partner to move around unnecessarily and gives your opponents an easy way out. Only change direction when there’s a clear opening, period.
Recognize your environment, and adjust to it ASAP. Whether indoor or outdoor, fast court or slow court, hot or cold, windy or calm, new balls or dead ones, there are tons of variables you need to think about.
1. ex) Fast indoor court with lively balls and a working smash → attack
2. ex 2) Cold, windy outdoor court → more bandejas and víboras, and look to finish points with volleys
Prioritize your serve. It’s *the* single shot in padel where you have complete control. Get the racket prepared high with the face open. Drop the ball from around eye level (rather than bouncing it), and step forward as you hit so your momentum carries you toward the net. A good serve = a weaker return, which gives you an easier first volley.

Suerte che!

🌍 International Happenings

(Don’t) Believe The Hype? (🇺🇸)

So the Sports & Fitness Industry Association just released its mid-year report on U.S. sports participation, citing padel growing as “the fastest growing sport” at 14.5% through the first six months of 2026. Meanwhile, pickleball’s growth cooled to 1.3%, its first real “deceleration” after five years of hypergrowth.

While some of you might already be fired up, there’s a bit missing here. And if you don’t do enough diligence by solely clinging onto the hype, you’re gonna get badly hurt.

First, let’s put this data into context. If we apply the mid-year growth rate to each sport’s most recent annual estimated player base, pickleball still added ~2x as many players over a six-month period:

Pickleball’s 24.3M players × 1.3% ≈ 316,000 new players
Padel’s 1.07M players × 14.5% ≈ 155,000 new players

So sure, padel is growing dramatically faster. But it’s doing so from a MUCH smaller base. So… dare I ask, but is this just a vanity flex?

Look, I still believe padel has (and will continue to have) real growth ahead of it in the US, while pickleball’s growth has naturally matured and decelerated after five years of hypergrowth. But unless drastic infrastructure changes are made to help grow the sport Stateside, it will take years (and gulp, perhaps even decades) for that gap to meaningfully narrow enough for “padel is the new pickleball” to carry any real weight.

To get to a point where US padel has real, defensible growth metrics (where no one is raising eyebrows or trying to poke holes in the thesis), the sport needs to find an economic equilibrium where operators are flourishing, while simultaneously being accessible enough for everyday Americans to play as often as they reasonably want to.

Until that happens, the sport’s growth rate may not really matter, especially given how small the player base remains.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Madrid Shakes Up Race to #1 (🇪🇸)

Holy cow, what a tournament I’m so lucky to have witnessed (and if you’re curious from an insider’s POV on the tournament, feel free to peep my on-the-ground content here)!

To quickly debrief, a changing of the guard may be brewing. On the men’s side, No. 2s Chingotto / Galán just captured their seventh title of 2026, beating Nieto / Yanguas 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. Despite this marathon final, the real drama came two rounds earlier, when Nieto / Yanguas stunned No. 1s Coello / Tapia in straight sets. The result leaves Chingalán just 470 points behind Coello / Tapia in the 2026 race. A title at this week’s Paris Major would be worth 2,000 points, potentially enough to put them at No. 1.

On the women’s side, Triay / Brea continued their remarkable run, defeating Josemaría / González in three sets for their sixth title of the season. Triay also became the first woman to reach 200 Premier Padel wins, while she and 40-year-old Alejandra Salazar now sit tied with 58 career titles.

Speaking of Salazar, Madrid marked her final tournament in her hometown before retiring at the end of the season. The four-time former World No. 1 and seven-time World Champion was honored in an emotional ceremony at the Movistar Arena, surrounded by former partners, coaches, friends, and family :)

Now, straight to Roland-Garros for the Paris Major. Coello / Tapia are chasing a fourth straight Paris title (Chingalán have lost the final here two years running). With Madrid blowing the men’s race wide open, this tournament is gonna be BIG. On verra…

🎯 Quick Hits

England has lost 183 tennis courts since 2023 while padel courts have nearly sextupled to 2,200+. BUT… just 77 tennis courts were directly replaced by padel, and tennis still outnumbers padel courts 11-to-1. (🇬🇧)
Soul Padel just raised £3.6M at a £30M valuation to scale from four to ten clubs over the next year, after claiming 80%+ utilization across its existing locations. (🇬🇧)
Premier Padel will return to Spain with six tournaments in its 2027 season, but plans to cut that number to five in 2028 as the circuit continues expanding into new markets. (🇪🇸🌎)
Where did the common “puh-DEL” mis-pronunciation even come from? Our friends at Padel Nation just broke it all down. (🇺🇸)
The Pope got another padel racket. Just 13 weeks after the FIP presented Chicago-native Leo XIV with one at the Italy Major, Athletica Vaticana has followed up with a racket signed by star players from this year’s Mediterranean Games. (🇻🇦)
Player community debates:
- Is a cheap “starter” racket all you need until your technique catches up, or should you just make the jump to a “nicer” racket now?
- Does a heavier racket make you a better player by forcing you to slow down, choose your shots better, and stop trying to smash everything in sight?
- Is Playtomic’s rating system creating more problems than it solves? From “leveling sessions” and inflated ratings to outright fake accounts and matches, is it better to just… get to know your local padel community the old-fashioned way?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 New York, NY, 🇺🇸
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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The $10M Texan Padel Bet

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:53:18 GMT

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Greetings from Spain’s capital, where I’ll be covering the Premier Padel Madrid P1 this week! If you want to tune into on-the-ground content from the tournament, follow El Remate’s Instagram account here.

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

From the ice rink to Roland-Garros, padel is clearly getting comfortable crashing other sports’ parties. Whether this is audience mooching or the buildup of long-term alliances, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, a pro team now has its own club, and the 2026 Premier Padel season is SO back.

Also in this issue:
— A Texas-sized padel bet
— Fix your offensive positioning
— Can a “tie” exist?

…and plenty more. Dale campeón!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

If you’re a Texas local, you’ll appreciate this one! Deep in the Hill Country (55 miles northwest of Austin), well-known Horseshoe Bay Resort has broken ground on a $10 million racquet-sports expansion that will add four padel courts and a 6,690-square-foot clubhouse by Summer 2027. The courts will join the resort’s existing 12 tennis and 14 pickleball courts, with the new clubhouse featuring an indoor lounge overlooking the courts, alongside retail, food and beverage, and social spaces.
Just down the road in Austin, TX, San Antonio-based Slice Padel Co. is turning the rooftop of a downtown parking garage into a six-court padel club, replacing ~118 parking spaces with a clubhouse, pro shop, café and bar. Slice plans to invest $500K into the 42,000-square-foot rooftop, giving the company a downtown Austin foothold as it expands beyond its San Antonio roots. The three-year lease includes two one-year extensions, but an opening date has not yet been set as Slice works through permitting.
West Palm Beach, FL-based real-estate firm Related Ross and East Hampton, NY-based retail store Set Point Tennis are teaming up on a residents-only racquet club at Edgeworth, a forthcoming luxury waterfront development in downtown West Palm Beach, FL. Opening in 2029, the club will offer tennis, padel, and pickleball alongside private instruction, clinics, social & competitive play, and junior programming. Set Point will also operate an on-site racquet pro shop and concierge services.

Now Open

Padel Haus just opened its Denver, CO location in the city’s Five Points neighborhood, bringing five indoor courts with 25-foot ceilings. The club is pairing padel with spa-like locker rooms, a premium gym, pro shop, café/juice bar, and coworking + lounge spaces.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Speaking of, Padel Haus has partnered with the New York Atlantics of the Pro Padel League, making its new Greenpoint (NYC) location the team’s official training center and community hub. The partnership will bring Atlantics-branded merchandise, watch parties, and other fan events to Padel Haus, while the club gets logo placement on practice jerseys and co-branded content… all aimed at connecting professional padel with NYC’s growing recreational community.

📈 Up Your Game

Stop Attacking From the Wrong Place: NYC Edition

This week, YouTube legend Coach Mauri from Hello Padel made the trek to Padel Haus in NYC to help some local rising stars.

After watching them play, he had three big critiques that I’m 99% sure will apply to y’all as well, unpacked in this 9.5-minute video:

As a general rule of thumb, defend from the back, attack from the front. If you accidentally hit a shallow lob into mid-court, the last thing you want to do is rush forward. Instead, give yourself time and space to defend by staying back and using the back wall when appropriate, while waiting for a better ball to move forward and attack.
The split step is another tiny detail that makes a huge difference. You don’t want to still be running into position when your opponent makes contact. Get there, set your feet, and split-step *before* they hit. Being half a second late can be the difference between comfortably defending a ball and getting jammed by it.
Remember that “you win with nothing.” Avoid falling into the temptation of hitting winners with every shot. Often, the best play is the boring one. Stay back. Make them hit another ball. Force them to keep attacking. You might be surprised how often the point eventually comes to you.

Suerte che!

🌍 International Happenings

Borrowing Everyone Else’s Spotlight (🇦🇹🇩🇪🇫🇷🇦🇺🇦🇷)

We’re now seeing another emerging trend in the market this week as part of padel’s gradual, worldwide growth: leveraging the audience of other sports’ fanbases.

In Salzburg, Premier Padel partnered with Red Bull to build a padel court directly on the ice at the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy, pitting two of Red Bull’s own pro hockey clubs (one Austrian, one German) against each other. Fear not, this wasn’t the players’ first rodeo. All four play padel regularly as part of their training. Women’s world No. 1 Delfi Brea worked the sideline as advisor. The Austrian team won at home, while the German visitors are already asking for a rematch.

Meanwhile in Paris, the French Tennis Federation is opening the upcoming Premier Padel Paris Major on September 6 with a “Tennis vs. Padel” exhibition featuring retired French tennis icons Richard Gasquet, Lucas Pouille, Arnaud Clément, and Fabrice Santoro squaring off against padel pros Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutiérrez, within the central hub of Roland-Garros stadium.

And now, two-time US Open champion and tennis Hall of Famer Pat Rafter will represent Australia at the FIP Senior World Cup in Buenos Aires in mid-September.

From my POV, it’ll be worth seeing whether all this borrowed attention converts into anyone new picking up a racquet, or just more good photos…

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ Madrid, + a Med Games Debut to Remember (🇪🇸🇮🇹)

The Premier Padel Tour returns from the summer break with the Madrid P1 this week. On the men’s side, “Golden Boys” Coello / Tapia are looking to clinch another title following their London victory. On the women’s side, Claudia Fernández goes for a third straight Madrid title, this time with Martina Calvo. In the meantime, 40-year old Alejandra Salazar is gearing up for retirement in her last pro tournament, in her home city.

And closing out this year’s quadrennial Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy, where padel made its first appearance:

Spain’s José Antonio Diestro / David Gala won the men’s title against Italy’s Flavio Abbate / Alvaro Montiel
Spain’s Lucía Sainz / Patty Llaguno took the women’s title over (also) Spain’s Jimena Velasco / Nuria Rodríguez
Portugal’s Sofia & Pedro Araújo (brother and sister), took the mixed title over Italy’s Giulia Dal Pozzo / Marco Cassetta

🎯 Quick Hits

UK’s LTA and Loughborough University have launched a new research project exploring how climate change could reshape tennis & padel facilities, participation and events. (🇬🇧)
PadelPROShop has expanded its national-team portfolio, becoming an official partner of both Spain and Argentina ahead of the FIP World Cup in Doha this November. (🇪🇸🇦🇷🇶🇦)
Tapia snipes a por tres from downtown during his visit to India. (🇮🇳🇦🇷)
Worth tuning in:
- USA Padel CEO Scott Colebourne joined popular American padel personality Padelbryant to discuss what’s needed to keep padel’s growth going in the US. (🇺🇸)
- Prominent Spanish padel media personality Adrián Illescas believes that the women’s circuit has “brought a smile to Premier Padel.” (🇪🇸)
Community musings:
- Is a match ruled a “tie” when court time runs out going into or during third set?
- What should you be drinking during a long padel session? Electrolytes, plain water, or even DIY mixes?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 East Nusa Tenggara, 🇮🇩
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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5,000 People Showed Up to Play Padel… at an Airport

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:38:36 GMT

Bienvenidos a El Remate! I’m Aris, a padel-obsessed Missourian who spent two years living in Argentina and Spain to deeply understand the sport’s strategy, culture, and business. I’ve played and competed across 3 continents and 12 countries, and recently started documenting my journey on Instagram.

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel just invaded an airport terminal, and 5,000 people showed up in one weekend. And that’s not even the weirdest place the sport showed up this week… no club, no problem?

Meanwhile, the GOAT has some strong opinions about your overgrip, and we get a clearer picture of who Team USA may be facing in the Padel World Cup.

Also in this issue:
— Mississippi’s first padel courts
— The forbidden partnership
— The Golden Boys head to India
— Padel rackets with… strings?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

HUGE milestone for US padel! Jackson, MS is set to get the state’s first padel courts as part of the planned $60M Prado Conservatory, a 9-acre “live-work-play” development transforming a long-vacant former YMCA near downtown. The project will preserve the existing YMCA as its centerpiece, with ~60 apartments in Phase I, and another 100 units planned in a new five-story building. The number of courts, indoor/outdoor configuration, additional amenities, and opening timeline have not yet been disclosed.
M Padel, the padel concept from the Mouratoglou brand, is teaming up with premium indoor soccer operator Socceroof to transform 150,000 square feet of former warehouse space in northeast San Antonio, TX into an indoor multi-sport destination featuring padel, tennis, and indoor soccer. The facility will focus on coaching, leagues, youth programs, tournaments and events. It marks M Padel’s first location in Texas. Court count, amenities and an opening timeline have not yet been disclosed.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Padel Haus just announced it’ll be fully enclosing its Atlanta location to make year-round play easier.
Per insider sources, Brisas just launched a rest-of-summer padel pop-up in Aspen, CO, running through September 30. The location at at the Aspen Meadows Racquet Center is ultimately permanent, with Brisas planning to fully renovate and rebrand the entire space as Brisas Aspen this offseason, ahead of next summer’s full launch.

Get smarter about padel. Subscribe here!

📈 Up Your Game

The Secret Way Pros Strategize Overgrips

We spend a ridiculous amount of time obsessing over on-court technique. But a foundational piece of your success comes from none other than the overgrip. And chances are, you’re not applying it optimally.

Fortunately, padel GOAT Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín is here to eliminate all your uncertainty in this 8-minute video.

Figure out what you’re comfortable with. More overgrips = heavier racket = weight shift toward the handle. This can give you more stability and control, but can also put additional stress on your arm.
Then there’s thickness. Thinner grip = more freedom to move your wrist. Thicker grip = generally, more stability and control. If you’re a beginner, don’t go crazy trying to maximize wrist movement… control should come first.
Even the color matters! White overgrips are generally less slippery when sweaty because they don’t contain the same pigments as dyed grips. There’s a reason you see white grips all over the pro tour.
Where you hold the racket also matters. Players like Bela and Tapia consistently grab the racket from the same side for their forehand. It gives them a more consistent feel because the grip conforms to their hand in the same way every time.
1. The tradeoff is that you’ll wear down one side of the grip (and eventually the racket) faster. Maximum consistency = keep the same side. Maximum lifespan = rotate it.

Finally, how often are you changing your overgrip? Bela reportedly changes his every match. You probably don’t need to go quite that far, but if your grip is sweaty, worn, or slipping in your hand, you’re playing with a piece of equipment that is actively making your job harder.

Remember… your racket isn’t just the racket. Happy gripping!

🌍 International Happenings

No Club Needed Anymore?

An emerging trend is only getting louder. This week alone, padel has popped up in three places around the globe that have nothing to do with each other.

On one end, Munich Airport just opened three courts inside a terminal hall, dubbing it the region’s “biggest padel arena.” 5,000 people showed up for opening weekend, and the courts are already fully booked through September 6. My sincere condolences to whoever’s seated next to a sweaty player who just sprinted off court and straight to the gate.

Meanwhile, padel held its own dedicated zone at Sziget, one of Europe’s top-five most-attended music festivals, with ~500 people a day jumping on court. There’s no way it’s a coincidence that padel made its debut at Coachella earlier this year, too.

On the high end, The World’s 50 Best just published a State of Luxury report. Padel, alongside tennis and pickleball, has become a global fixture of the guest experience high-end hotels are selling. To name a few: floating courts at France’s Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay; dedicated padel retreats at Gleneagles; new courts landing at resorts worldwide.

The coolest part is that none of these venues even needed padel in the first place, and yet courts still pop up… all while catering to disparate customer demographics.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pros… Pros Everywhere

With the Premier Padel tour on its summer break, many of its stars are scattered across the globe: Spain, the US, Australia, Greece, the Maldives… you name it.

In the meantime, men’s world No. 1s Coello / Tapia head to Mumbai (along with Alfonso Sánchez and Antón Sanz) on August 29 for India’s first-ever Padel All Stars exhibition, a one-night showcase expected to draw 4,000+ fans. At this point, it’s pretty clear that India is aggressively positioning itself in the sport, especially after just hosting a host of other top pros for the World Padel League’s fourth season.

Meanwhile in Taranto, Italy, padel is making its Mediterranean Games debut. On the men’s side, Egypt’s Youssef Hossam and Georges Wakim pulled off the upset of the tournament so far, knocking out No. 1 seeds Spain’s Pol Hernández and Guille Collado to reach the quarter-finals. Italy and France also continue to lurk as threats. On the women’s side, Italy’s Carolina Orsi and Giorgia Marchetti (golden at the 2023 European Games) headline, chasing another title.

And now that Team USA has clinched its spot in this November’s FIP World Cup in Doha, the next question is who they may eventually face… and the South American qualifier in Asunción, Paraguay just answered part of that. Paraguay locked in a rare men’s and women’s World Cup qualification, while Chile’s women snuck through on a tiebreaker over Uruguay and Venezuela. That fills out most of the South American contingent alongside already-qualified Argentina and Brazil. The last pieces of the 32-team field get sorted late next month at the European qualifier in Madrid, which will finally clarify who Team USA actually faces in the group stage.

🎯 Quick Hits

Wanna truly understand how the US tournament and national team pipeline works? Our friends at Padel Nation sat down with USA Padel’s Scott Colebourne for a full breakdown: circuits, divisions, seniors, juniors, all of it. (🇺🇸)
MATCHi, a prominent UK booking & club-management platform, just backed PadelLevels (built by the team behind SquashLevels) as a cross-club rating technology. Game4Padel is among the first operators rolling it out across its network. (🇬🇧)
Former Ukraine national soccer team coach Serhiy Rebrov apologized after a video surfaced of him playing padel in Marbella alongside Vasily Berezutsky, a former Russia footballer. He insisted no one should “doubt my pro-Ukrainian stance.” (🇺🇦🇷🇺)
The Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour wrapped its first US season (four stops from Miami to Austin to NYC) of its amateur tournament model. Germany and the UK get their first editions in September. (🇺🇸🇬🇧🇩🇪)
JR Sports, the coaching methodology behind eight world No. 1s, is opening a new academy in Santo Domingo with Padel Warehouse, bringing structured, competition-focused training to the Dominican Republic. (🇩🇴)
Community musings:
- What’s the greatest padel match of all time?
- Apparently, many male players seem to lose their minds when they’re beaten by women…
- Does the idea of strung padel rackets actually make sense, or is it a gimmick?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Gdańsk, 🇵🇱
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Padel's Secret Power Couple, Revealed

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:41:35 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel is getting serious money. A €20M investment just put Germany’s biggest padel operator at a valuation north of €65M. And apparently, tokenized padel real estate is a thing now, too.

Meanwhile, two of the top men’s duos swapped partners, and word is spreading about a couple at the top of the sport who’ve been keeping things a lot more low-key than their ranking suggests…

Also in this issue:
— The overhead you forgot to use
— Ten courts, three states, one week
— Pros divide and conquer across the world

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

Lobb’s Padel just opened in The Woodlands, TX (30 miles north of downtown Houston) with five indoor courts, alongside a full wellness area with sauna and cold plunge, a café, pro shop, and coaching. The club is pitching itself as more than a place to play, with open plays, leagues, clinics, and social events.
Vitesse Padel just opened in Gray, TN (part of the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol area in the Northeast corner of the state), bringing the region its first-ever padel facility with two outdoor courts. Founded by former Dutch pro soccer player Michael Louter alongside Vitesse Soccer Academy, the family-run facility is betting that padel’s accessibility and social appeal can translate from Europe and LatAm to the local market, with a mission centered on introducing the sport to the local community.
Padel Social has opened its permanent home in Bethesda, MD (7 miles outside downtown Washington, DC) with three lighted outdoor courts. The club will feature a clubhouse with a pro shop, food & beverage options, and social space.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Austin Padel Center just broke ground on its permanent flagship location.
Remember PURE Pickleball & Padel, the upcoming facility expected to be the world’s largest indoor pickleball & padel venue? The project is now the first real-estate investment tokenized by Caliber, a Scottsdale-based alternative asset manager, giving investors the option to hold a digital ownership certificate tied to the underlying real estate and operating business.

📈 Up Your Game

The Overhead You Forgot to Use

So, you see a lob coming over your head and immediately start scrambling backward, trying to get underneath it so you can hit your trusty bandeja.

But what if the better move is to not move at all?

In this 7-minute video, Coach Sandy from The Padel School explains the gancho, a deceptively simple overhead that (right-handed) players use to handle lobs coming over their left shoulder while quickly regaining the net.

Just like the bandeja, the gancho keeps your opponents pinned deep, forces a difficult ball, and gets you back to the net. The difference is that you hit it directly over your head rather than moving to the side of the ball (like in a traditional bandeja).

For right-side players, this shot particularly matters because when a lob comes over your left shoulder, you’d have to move toward the center of the court to properly set up a bandeja… which (1) takes you out of position, and (2) leaves a ton of space for your opponents to attack.

And with the gancho, you can make contact higher and closer to the net, meaning you don’t have to give up your critical net position.

The target should be the opponent’s back corner, ideally involving the glass or fence. Your gancho will likely bounce higher than your bandeja (because of the higher contact), so using the glass or fence helps kill the ball and make it harder to defend.

Lastly, contact the ball slightly in front of you with a relatively straight arm, and drive through it in a downward direction. So step in, save yourself a few steps with the gancho, and get your ass back to the net. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Big Money Comes for German Padel (🇩🇪🇫🇷)

If you haven’t heard of PadelCity, it’s a name you should know now. Based in Munich, they’re a padel club operator founded in 2022 that’s become one of the biggest players in German padel at 24 clubs, 190 courts, and ~300K active players in its community. Backers include German soccer legends Hansi Flick, Mats Hummels, and Joshua Kimmich.

Last week, publicly-listed Compagnie des Alpes (“CDA”) bought 33.9% of PadelCity for €20M. Based in Paris, CDA is a leisure company that runs ski resorts and theme parks, and owns Urban Group, France’s biggest operator of recreational padel and soccer facilities. They also locked in call options to go to ~75% by 2028 and full ownership by 2030. Of the €20M, €12M went in as fresh capital and €8M bought out existing shareholders, valuing PadelCity north of €65M.

This is a pretty big deal, as Germany’s padel scene has been almost entirely independent single-site clubs, and PadelCity is currently the largest padel operator in the country. Compare that to Spain, for example, where BamVolea already operates 14 clubs and 250+ courts and calls itself the “largest padel club network in the world.”

Zooming out, Playtomic’s 2026 industry report classifies Germany (along with the UK and Ireland) as a “Hotspot” market, meaning that player demand and willingness to pay are already strong, but club and court infrastructure hasn’t caught up yet. So I think it’s fair to say that CDA is aiming to close that gap.

Side bar, Playtomic considers 🇺🇸 as a “Diamond in the Rough” alongside India and Australia (i.e., early-stage and fragmented, with demand still irregular and price-sensitive).

Point being, if this move pays off for CDA, expect other strategics (i.e., ski resort groups, gym chains, and sports private equity funds) to look at this ecosystem gap the same way.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

From LA & Mumbai, With Love [In the Air] (🇺🇸🇮🇳🇮🇹)

While the Premier Padel circuit takes a quick break for the dog days of summer, some players scattered to Los Angeles for the second round of the Pro Padel League season, while others went to Mumbai for Season 4 of India’s annual World Padel League.

Los Angeles saw DC Matrix’s Ara Martínez and Marina Guinart claim the women’s title and Mexico Waves’ David Gala and Maximiliano Arce take the men’s crown, with both finals decided in super tie-breaks. And Jamie Foxx even showed up as a special guest for the coin toss. Off-court, the LA Beat hosted a star-studded showcase at a Beverly Hills private court.
Meanwhile in Mumbai, the Game Changers Lions captured their first-ever WPL title, beating the Aussie Mavericks Jaguars in the Season 4 Final. World No. 2s Bea González / Paula Josemaría, plus Federico Mourino / Teodoro Zapata and Gonzalo Alfonso / Sanyo Gutiérrez all delivered wins for the Lions, who also edged the Vedanta Leopards in the Semifinal.

And off-court, interesting happenings have occurred regarding partnerships at the top of the pro circuit, both professionally and romantically…

Within the men’s circuit, Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas are back together, while Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz are officially joining forces.
No. 1 Arturo Coello said he’d love to finish his career alongside his longtime partner, Agustín Tapia… a pretty ambitious dream given how much can change within pro padel.
And speaking of Tapia, apparently he and Marta Ortega have been keeping an extremely low-key relationship. Add “padel’s secret power couple” to the list of things I didn’t expect to be writing about when I started this newsletter…

Looking ahead, padel is making its debut as a medal sport at the quadrennial Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy, starting this Saturday. 88 athletes from 18 countries will compete across men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, marking another step in padel’s push into major multisport events, including the Olympics. Spain brings a stacked squad, while Italy, Portugal, and France are among the other medal contenders.

🎯 Quick Hits

Marketing Brew (part of prominent newsletter Morning Brew) just took a look at padel’s growing appeal to American brands. (🇺🇸)
Our friends at Padel Nation might be onto something… are multi-sport clubs the future of padel’s sustained success in the US? (🇺🇸)
Padel just took over the Sydney Opera House for the inaugural Padel Invitational, bringing together celebs, community players, tennis legends, and Premier Padel stars. (🇦🇺)
- Speaking of, how much do you know about Aussie padel (# courts, # players, etc.)?
The UK is getting its first-ever floating padel courts at Vibora Liverpool Waters. Guess we’ve officially run out of land? (🇬🇧)
Rafa Nadal Academy plans to open its first Southeast Asian center in Indonesia in 2028, focusing on tennis and padel. (🇮🇩)
The Generali Hexagon Cup will make Madrid its inaugural event and 2027 season opener in an attempt to carve out a permanent place in the pro padel calendar. (🇪🇸)
Community musings:
- When is it time for you to actually pick a side? Team left, or team right?
- Are the pros getting away with illegal serves? It’s such a hard-to-police rule that can give taller players an arguably unfair advantage.
- Does Chingo’s diamond racket even make sense given his control-heavy game? Or is the “diamond = power, round = control” thesis a massive oversimplification?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Los Angeles, CA, 🇺🇸
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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The UK Is a Siren Song for US Padel

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:52:30 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Coming fresh off the London P1, the UK is scaling fast with more courts, bigger tournaments, and hundreds of thousands of bookings. Sounds great, right?

Welp… there’s a catch. And the US is already showing some of the same warning signs.

Also in this issue:
— Agassi’s padel facility empire
— The proper time to play the chiquita
— Fourteen new courts hit AZ, CO, PA, & FL
— Premier Padel gets its youngest-ever titleist
— Two breakups, one “shitty partner”

…and plenty more. Dale che!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

Padeland is having its Grand Opening in downtown Chandler, AZ (24 miles outside Phoenix) on August 13, featuring three indoor padel courts and seven indoor pickleball courts. The 35,000-square-foot facility will feature a restaurant & bar, on-site brewery, coffee shop, coworking space, pro shop, sauna & cold plunges, strength-training area, and outdoor terrace.
Arenna Denver is set to hold its Grand Opening on August 15 in Denver, CO’s Sun Valley neighborhood (just 2 miles from downtown), with six indoor courts featuring 32-foot clear heights. The club will also offer a pro shop, social lounge, juice bar, fitness area, co-working space, lockers, cold plunge, and showers.
In Lafayette Hill, PA (13 miles outside Philadelphia), Green Valley Country Club just added two outdoor courts (built by MejorSet) to its racquet-sports mix at its 182-acre property. The move gives members another amenity alongside the club’s golf, tennis, pool, dining, and fitness offerings.
Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, FL has officially opened three outdoor padel courts, becoming the first country club in Southwest Florida to offer padel exclusively to its members. The club is also rolling out “Intro to Padel” classes with a dedicated instructor.

On the Down-Low 🤫

The Club at Midtown, a private recreation club redeveloping a former racquet & swim club in Wilmington, NC, is considering replacing six of its ten approved outdoor pickleball courts with three padel courts.

Get smarter about padel! Subscribe here.

📈 Up Your Game

The Proper Time to Play the Chiquita

You’re somewhere around the back of the court, see your opponent standing a few meters off the net, and think: “This is it. Time for the chiquita.”

You feather one in. It bounces too close to the net, your opponent lets it bounce, and suddenly you’re stuck watching them take control of the point.

But ooof… you played a chiquita because you *could*, not because you *should*.

Fortunately, Coach Mauri Andrini explains the shot incredibly well in this 8-minute video:

The chiquita is a transition shot, not an attack. Its job is to force your opponent to volley from below net height, giving you the opportunity to move forward and take the net yourself.
When placing the ball, get it to land ~6.5-9.5 feet (2-3 meters) behind the net, coming in at ~4-10 inches (10-25cm) above the net… close enough that your opponent has to volley, but not so close that you’re taking a huge risk by hitting over the net. And once you hit it, go forward immediately.
Not every ball is a chiquita ball. If you’re stretched wide, playing crosscourt, or your opponent has a big angle available, a chiquita can make your position worse. You’re giving them an easy passing lane while you’re still far from the net. Instead, use the lob to push them back and open up the court.
Harder isn’t always better. If your opponent is moving backward, sure, speed it up. But if they’re already positioned at the net, a softer chiquita into the space around their body can be much more uncomfortable than trying to blast the ball through them.

TLDR, get the ball low to make them volley up, and move forward. Oh and most importantly, earn the right to play it. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Is 🇬🇧 Becoming a Warning for 🇺🇸 Padel?

As an American, I’ve become increasingly interested in the UK padel market. It’s English-speaking, culturally similar, and (while clearly more mature) still early enough that its successes + mistakes offer a useful preview of what could be coming Stateside.

This week’s inaugural Premier Padel P1 in London offered a particularly useful snapshot:

Organizers claimed ~20,000 spectators, although “sold out” claims are also worth treating skeptically; ticket vendors and promoters have a tendency to stretch that term, and photos from the quarterfinals look noticeably different from the final. Regardless, attendance appeared to far exceed that of this year’s second-annual Miami P1.
The Olympia venue was undeniably several echelons above the single hall used inside the Miami Beach Convention Center. Premier Padel co-chief executive David Serrahima is already promising a “bigger and better” London edition in 2027.
On the competitive player base, wildcard Christian Medina Murphy was the only UK player to reach the Round of 32, while no US player advanced beyond the Round of 64 in Miami.

Meanwhile, at the recreational level:

UK Playtomic bookings have allegedly outpaced Spain’s every month since February 2026, reaching 595,511 in July versus 418,034 in Spain. But major caveat… having spent a solid chunk of my summer in Madrid, I’ve learned locals regularly bypass Playtomic due to its additional “brokerage fees” via underground WhatsApp groups.

The UK is experiencing some of the same backlash we see in the US. This week alone, complaints have emerged around opaque or expensive pricing, alongside criticism that private padel facilities are replacing integral community spaces. Meanwhile, female participation is trailing significantly, gear costs can run £500-800/year for a serious player, and noise complaints are blocking new clubs in multiple cities.
- Put it all together, and the market’s trajectory could easily lean toward one defined by private capital, premium pricing, and growing conflict over public space—all of which could sabotage long-term growth.

Watching the UK as a fast-scaling, slightly more mature “test case” is critical. At the end of the day, more courts, bigger tournaments, and rising participation won’t automatically produce a healthy ecosystem. Fortunately for 🇺🇸, there’s still time to learn from the UK’s growing pains and chart a different course.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

One Record, Two Breakups (🇬🇧🇺🇸🇮🇳)

The London P1 closed the first half of the Premier Padel season with two *very* different finals. On the men’s side, Coello / Tapia reclaimed the title over Chingalán in a three-setter (6-3, 5-7, 7-5) to lock in their eighth of the year. Highlights here. On the women’s side, Calvo / Fernandez upset No. 1s Brea / Triay 7-5, 6-3… and at 18 years and 1 month, Calvo became the youngest-ever Premier Padel titleist, breaking Andrea Ustero’s record by 20 days. Highlights here.

The tournament also broke up two men’s pairs. Stupaczuk / Yanguas ended their second stint together after another early exit; word on tour is Stupaczuk teams with Maxi Arce next, while Yanguas reunites with Coki Nieto, who just split from Jon Sanz after an underwhelming run. Both new pairings are expected to debut at the Madrid P1 in September. Elsewhere in the men’s draw, childhood friends Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero, coming fresh off a Pretoria P1 final, crashed out in the Round of 32, with Leal calling Guerrero a “shitty partner.” Yikes…

The Premier Padel circuit takes another break. Until it resumes, many of the pros will scatter this week: some to India’s World Padel League, returning to Mumbai for its fourth season, while others to Los Angeles for the Pro Padel League at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar.

🎯 Quick Hits

Andre Agassi’s sports-entertainment company is setting its sights on the padel facility market, planning to pursue acquisitions, partnerships, and franchising opportunities across international markets… with Germany and Australia first in line. It’s still early days, with no deals signed yet. (🇺🇸🇩🇪🇦🇹)
Barcelona-based NOX Sport has become the exclusive padel equipment partner of the Orlando-based Racquet Sports Professionals Association. (🇪🇸🇺🇸)
With Team USA already qualified for the 2026 FIP World Cup in both the men’s and women’s draws, attention now turns to the remaining qualifiers. Madrid is set to determine four European berths in late September, with South America and Africa-Asia still to come before the 32-team field is finalized for Doha. (🌎🇪🇸)
Birla Open Minds, one of India’s larger school networks, is partnering with the country’s Padel Tennis Federation to introduce padel and pickleball courts and structured programming across its campuses. (🇮🇳)
Padel continues to show up in niche corners of the world, even outside Africa’s biggest cities! The sport has officially landed in Abuja, Nigeria’s hospitality scene, with the Transcorp Hilton adding courts to its amenities. (🇳🇬)
Community musings:
- Early 40s players: what’s the sweet spot for games per week?
- Should players struggling to generate power hit the gym or fix their technique? Turns out, might be the latter...
- Is the ball in or out if it lands exactly between the court and the area outside the door?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Bali, 🇮🇩
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Has Padel Become Too Fast?

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:39:27 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

This week belonged to the underdogs.

Team USA locked up World Cup qualification. Two childhood friends came within one point of completing one of the biggest Cinderella runs we’ve ever seen on the Premier Padel tour. And now, everyone’s arguing whether padel is becoming too fast for its own good.

We’ve got all that below.

Also in this issue:
— The bajada mistake almost everyone’s making
— Fifteen new courts, four states, one week
— The club facing $370K fraud allegations
— Are ball pressurizers even worth it?

…and plenty more. Take it to the glass!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Diablo Padel is targeting a 2027 opening in metro San Francisco’s East Bay with four indoor, climate-controlled courts, a recovery lounge, coaching, leagues, DJ nights, and other community-focused programming. Founder Angel Tramontin (a former LinkedIn product leader and recent UC Berkeley MBA grad) says the club is built around people are craving authentic, in-person communities in an increasingly digital world.
Epic Padel has acquired Midlothian Tennis Club outside Richmond, VA, marking its third location as the company continues its nationwide expansion strategy. The facility’s existing 16 tennis courts (four indoor, 12 outdoor) will be gradually transformed into Epic Athletic Club, with the first four outdoor padel courts slated to open by Q1 2027, alongside upgraded amenities and enhanced food-and-beverage offerings.

Now Open

Sportika Woodlands Indoor Padel just opened in Magnolia, TX (within greater Houston), adding six indoor courts to “America’s second padel city.” The facility is offering professional coaching, private lessons, and clinics for players of all levels.
South Beach Racquet Club is now home to Hilton Head Island, SC’s first publicly accessible padel court, installed atop an existing tennis court by Off the Glass and Wakit Padel, with plans to keep the temporary installation in place for at least six months. Ideally, the court will serve as a catalyst for broader adoption across Hilton Head’s renowned network of country clubs and tennis facilities, with community events and professional exhibitions already planned.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

In preparation for the Pro Padel League’s Los Angeles event next week, the Los Angeles Beat is partnering with The Los Angeles Padel Club to host a youth development day, giving local junior players the chance to train alongside the pros.

📈 Up Your Game

Fix Your Bajada

According to Dutch coach Sven Boele at Otro Nivel Padel, most players miss the bajada because they rush to the ball, then keep moving while they hit it.

In this 16-minute video, he makes it very clear: Sprint first. Stop second. Swing last. Let’s break it down further, shall we?

As soon as you recognize the lob, run back at full speed.
But once the ball hits the back glass, imagine someone hit the pause button.
1. During this time, plant your feet, get balanced, and only then attack the ball.
When finally making contact, it’s important to do so as high and as early as possible.

And alas, regarding placement: most of your best bajadas should go through the middle, forcing your opponents to decide who’s taking it. It’s much lower risk for you… and surprisingly awkward for them.

Master these steps, and you’ll win far more points without changing your stroke. Suerte che!

🌍 International Happenings

Team USA Men’s and Women’s ➡️ Padel World Cup

As we gear up for the FIP World Cup in Doha (🇶🇦) this November, regional qualifiers are currently taking place around the globe. For Team USA, that meant traveling to Toronto this past weekend for the North and Central America qualifier. The Americans faced Canada and Mexico in a round-robin, with two men’s World Cup berths and one women’s berth up for grabs. (To note, each “tie” is a best-of-three-pairs matchup… a national team fields three doubles pairs, and whichever side wins more of those three matches wins the “tie.”)

For the first time in two years, both Team USA’s men’s and women’s teams qualified for the World Cup.

On the men’s side, Team USA opened with a clean 3-0 sweep of Canada. Mexico kept pace and qualified alongside them, while Canada was eliminated from men’s contention by the second day.

Given that only one spot was available on the women’s side, the competition carried higher stakes. USA opened with a 3-0 win over Mexico, then had to beat Canada outright in the final tie to close it out, since anything less would have handed the spot to Mexico on points. They came up clutch, sweeping Canada 3-0 as well.

Both squads now head to the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha from November 2-7.

Meanwhile, the qualification process moves to Asunción, Paraguay, from August 20-22 for the South American qualifiers, followed by the European and combined Africa-Asia qualifying rounds to complete the 32-team World Cup field.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

“What Have We Just Witnessed?” (🇿🇦)

The Pretoria P1 (the tour’s first-ever stop in South Africa) delivered tons of drama, highlighted by seventh-seeded childhood friends Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal. The duo took down Lebrón / Augsburger in the Quarterfinals upon saving six match points, then proceeded to end No. 1 Coello / Tapia’s absurd run of 27 straight finals by grinding out a 7-5, 7-5 win in the Semis. In the Final against No. 2 Chingalán, the duo even held a championship point in the third set tiebreak before sadly falling 6-2, 5-7, 7-6. Highlights here.

Looking back, Guerrero / Leal’s insane run sparked an intense debate among fans: are fewer lobs the new meta? After repeatedly attacking from the back with flat, heavy groundstrokes, maybe this new tactic is the move now...

And on the women’s side, teenagers Fernandez / Calvo, playing their first tournament together, upset (and dismantled) No. 2s Josemaría / González in the Semis 6-1, 6-4 before pushing No. 1s Brea / Triay to a third-set tiebreak in the Final before (also) sadly falling 6-2, 6-7, 7-6. Highlights here.

Pretoria’s altitude also reignited padel’s speed debate. Paquito Navarro was blunt about the courts turning nearly every point into a smash-fest, even with a lower-pressure ball introduced for the event. Coki Nieto (whose game leans on patience and long exchanges), contrarily argued that adapting to faster conditions is simply part of the sport’s evolution. Either way, it’s worth debating how much of padel’s identity is getting traded away for spectacle.

Next up this week is the London P1… the tour’s first-ever UK event.

🎯 Quick Hits

On August 15-16, a pop-up padel court will sit in front of the Sydney Opera House, with legends like Martín Di Nenno, Alejandra Salazar, and Pat Rafter set to headline the inaugural Padel Invitational. (🇦🇺)
Tennis legend (& wife of Andre Agassi) Steffi Graf has partnered with European supermarket giant Lidl to launch an FIP-approved racket and ball collection for under €60. (🇩🇪)
French sporting goods giant Decathlon will serve as the official retail partner for the London P1. (🇫🇷🇬🇧)
LevelTech, a startup that transformed squash rankings, just raised over $670,000 to bring its player-rating platform to padel. (🇬🇧)
We all know Miami is America’s padel capital. But any guesses what Ireland’s is? (🇮🇪)
Uh oh… US men’s No. 6 padel player is facing multiple criminal charges after allegedly destroying merchandise and threatening employees at a Miami sports shop. (🇺🇸🇺🇾)
What’s even more awkward, Swedish padel company Ascaro Padel is facing fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering allegations in Indonesia after investors accused it of misusing ~$370,000 meant for a new club. (🇸🇪🇮🇩)
An all-girls private school in England won approval to build three padel courts, with plans to open them to students, staff, families, and the wider community. (🇬🇧)
Players debate: are ball pressurizers worth the investment?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Koh Chang, 🇹🇭
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Americanization, Plagiarism(?), and Celeb Beef

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:43:10 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Drake loves padel so much, he hosted Tapia, Lebrón, and Kevin Durant at a New Jersey mansion, quietly previewing Nike’s entry into the sport… despite the internet crying “plagiarism.”

And new clubs are popping up from El Paso to the Hamptons, while Premier Padel is breaking new ground in South Africa.

Also in this issue:
— Why anticipation > speed
— The t-shirt that re-ignited NBA beef
— “Mandated to play padel”

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

A new dedicated padel club is under construction on the east side of El Paso, TX. The $400,000 project will transform a vacant lot into a facility with three padel courts and office space. A name or opening date have not yet been announced.

Now Open

The Faraway Sag Harbor just opened in New York’s Hamptons, bringing a new bookable padel court to the 67-room waterfront hotel. Following a $66.5 million redevelopment of the former Baron’s Cove, the luxury destination pairs padel with a heated outdoor pool, spa, fitness center, and Amalfi Coast-inspired restaurant.
Miami’s padel scene continues to expand with The Gables Padel, which just opened in the city’s Flagami neighborhood. The club features eight padel courts and is centered around creating a community-focused destination.
American padel franchise Padel Haus has officially opened its third New York City location and sixth location nationwide, located within Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. The club features five indoor courts with 35-foot ceilings, locker rooms with rain showers, a members’ lounge, pro shop, and the brand’s signature Juice Haus. The club wasted no time establishing itself as a tournament destination, hosting its grand opening on July 23 before welcoming a USA Padel major just one day later.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Ballers’ flagship location in Philadelphia, PA was featured in a Wall Street Journal article covering “the push to make padel the next pickleball.”
Deuces Padel Club just kicked off its soft opening in Laredo, TX.

📈 Up Your Game

Wanna Feel Faster? Quit Trying to Run Faster.

Truth is, the biggest improvements in padel usually have less to do with how fast you can run, and more to do with when you move.

In this 8.5-minute video, Coach Sandy from The Padel School explains that court speed has two components: (1) physical movement and (2) anticipation. Most amateur players focus almost exclusively on the first while overlooking the second.

Start with the split step. It’s a tiny hop onto the balls of your feet right as your opponent makes contact with the ball. That’s it!

The pros are almost never flat-footed. Even when the ball is headed to their partner, they’re still light on their toes, ready for anything.

Anticipation is also key. As soon as you hit a shot, be sure to recover into position and narrow down what your opponents are most likely to do next.

For example:

Hit a strong serve? A quality lob becomes much less likely.
If your opponent consistently lobs from the middle, start preparing your overhead before they even make contact.

The more patterns you recognize, the less you’ll rely on pure athleticism. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Americanization, Plagiarism(?), and Celeb Beef

If you needed proof this sport is becoming more Americanized, look no further than a New Jersey estate. Top hip-hop artist Drake hosted a second annual NOCTA Manor retreat that pulled together an odd, telling guest list: world No. 1 Agustín Tapia, Juan Lebrón, and NBA stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, all on a padel court in front of a bunch of cameras.

Let’s not kid ourselves here… this was much more of a business meeting than a hangout. As part of Nike’s nonchalant move into padel—which we’ve been documenting over the last ~3 months—the Oregon-based brand showed off a trio of models (Command, Attack, Balance) at the event, with Tapia (who’s still contracted to NOX through 2028) as the presumed centerpiece of a future ambassador deal. Nothing was officially launched, but nothing was officially denied either.

But without missing a beat, the internet pointed out that the Command, Attack, and Balance bear an uncanny resemblance to existing Drop Shot molds (i.e., bridge shapes, and drilling patterns as three of the brand’s models. Rebadged production runs aren’t new in racket sports, but “Nike innovation” and “borrowed Spanish mold” don’t sit well together in the same headline, and I think it’s worth highlighting.

To end on a funny note, an interesting t-shirt came out of Drake’s event, referencing Lebrón’s surname at the expense of NBA legend LeBron James (who Drake currently has beef with).

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ Pretoria. New Ball, New Team. (🇿🇦)

Premier Padel makes history this week with its first-ever stop in South Africa at the Pretoria P1. And men’s No. 1s Coello / Tapia arrive gunning for a sixth straight title after sweeping Rome, Valencia, Valladolid, Bordeaux, and Málaga. Here’s where you can watch it.

The bigger story might be the ball. At nearly 4,400 feet (1,340 meters), Pretoria sits high enough that the thin air turns every smash into a potential rocket. Organizers are countering with the Bullpadel Premium Pro High Altitude, a lower-internal-pressure ball designed to tame the bounce without killing rallies outright. It’s a lesson learned the hard way… Mexico City 2021 tried pressureless balls at altitude and got the opposite problem, with seven-minute rallies and exhausted players.

On the partnership front, Sofia Araújo and Marta Ortega are back together. This is their third go-around after two stints that produced four titles combined. Neither has won a title in 2026 yet... awkwardly, their ex-partners (Calvo, Fernández) have now paired up with each other.

🎯 Quick Hits

Exploding Topics (a trend-tracking platform that discovers growing products, startups, and industry shifts before they go mainstream) flagged “padel balls” this week after search interest surged 1,560% over the past five years. (🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇬🇿🇦🇭🇰)
The FIP has awarded the 2027 Euro Padel Cup to the Netherlands and the 2029 edition to Germany, often considered two of Europe’s fastest-growing padel markets. (🇳🇱🇩🇪)
Pakistan’s national cricketers will now have to earn their court time… literally. The Pakistan Cricket Board has made padel a mandatory part of training camps, in effort to sharpen its players’ agility, reflexes, and fielding. (🇵🇰)
Argentine padel GOAT Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín has unveiled plans for a €5 million Bela Padel Center in Andorra, further expanding his club empire… just nine weeks after announcing a new location in the Buenos Aires suburbs. (🇦🇩)
Mercedes-Benz has signed on as title sponsor of the Indian Padel Tour’s 19-event 2026-27 season. (🇮🇳)
Crew Clothing has upgraded its investment in the UK’s Pro Am Padel Tour, becoming its exclusive performance apparel partner. (🇬🇧)
Players debate: How does one beat the notoriously pesky lefty/righty combo?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Riyadh, 🇸🇦
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Coach Salaries. Global Alliances. Creepy Men.

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:40:37 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

A new industry report suggests top padel coaches are earning up to 40% more than their pickleball counterparts. And apparently unopened padel balls lose over 20% of their pressure just sitting on a shelf.

Meanwhile, Fanatics is taking over Premier Padel’s retail business, and the Olympic groundwork keeps falling into place. But not everything trending is positive… one growing community concern might be holding part of the player base back.

Also in this issue:
— How to quit getting cooked by the víbora
— The coastal American court boom continues
— NBA stars make a pro padel cameo

…and plenty more. Vamos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Backed by the Mouratoglou brand, M Padel is launching a Malden, MA location in late 2026. The club will feature eight courts (7 indoor, 1 outdoor), a strength and conditioning gym, and locker rooms with saunas + showers. The club will provide private lessons, clinics, and court rentals for members and non-members.
Tempe, AZ-based franchise Conquer Padel just signed a lease for its first Jacksonville, FL location, bringing the city its first dedicated indoor padel facility. The club will feature five courts with 30-foot ceilings, plus a full fitness gym, recovery area with saunas and cryotherapy, coffee and smoothie bar, full-service bar, pro shop, member lounges, corporate event space, and mezzanine viewing area. Opening details are expected as construction progresses.

Now Open

Bay Area franchise Bay Padel officially opened its newest location in downtown San Jose, marking its fourth club in the metro area. The 28,000-square-foot facility features six padel courts and offers a recovery lounge, cold plunge, sauna, locker rooms, juice bar, and outdoor warm-up area. The club is also launching clinics, intro sessions, open play, leagues, and tournaments.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Park Padel is hosting an FIP Promises tournament at their South San Francisco, CA location from August 28-30, bringing international competition to the West Coast for the first time this year.
Down in Los Angeles, Padel Up is hosting a Rally for Venezuela community fundraiser after last month’s devastating earthquakes.
Further south, Padel N9NE in San Diego is hosting beloved UK-based coach and YouTube educator Sandy Farquharson of The Padel School from August 19-23 for a series of clinics, a club social, and an exhibition match.

📈 Up Your Game

Defend a Víbora Properly, for Once!

Let’s be honest. Your lob wasn’t the strongest. Now your opponent is loading up for an offensive overhead, so you instinctively charge forward expecting a hard smash.

…except it’s a víbora. And now the ball kicks off the glass with nasty sidespin and dies behind you. RIP.

In this 5min video, Coach Sandy from The Padel School proposes a two-step solution.

Instead of reacting to the overhead, start reading the contact.
1. If your opponent contacts the ball high and out in front, expect a flatter smash. But if they strike it slightly to the side with a brushing motion, anticipate the slice and stay patient.
Position yourself in one of two ways:
1. Stay back and let the glass do the work, defending after the rebound, OR
2. Step forward with intent and block the ball before it reaches the glass, stealing time from your opponent.

But whatever you do, commit ASAP and don’t get caught halfway between the two.

One final takeaway: you’re not gonna master this in match play. Build a simple drill where a partner feeds a lob and alternates víboras, allowing you to practice both defensive options until the decision becomes automatic. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Cross-Border Partnerships Reach the Sport

Three cross-border deals were inked this week across the governance and retail infrastructure fronts, and they’re all worth a look.

First, the International Padel Federation became a World Anti-Doping Agency code signatory, closing a two-year process with the International Testing Agency. This puts padel’s anti-doping framework on the same footing as most major international sports, which further strengthens padel’s long-term Olympic aspirations.

And in an effort to outsource commercialization, Premier Padel handed its retail and licensing operation to NYC-based Fanatics, the same company running merch for the NFL, NBA, and F1. Fanatics will take over e-commerce, wholesale, and in-venue retail starting at the Barcelona Finals in December, with a London pop-up in August to test the model.

And finally in North America, Montreal-based lifestyle brand Psycho Bunny, which operates nearly 150 retail stores, officially entered the US padel market by signing on as the official uniform partner for USA Padel’s men’s, women’s, and junior national teams.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Dynasty in the Making, feat. NBA Bigshots (🇪🇸)

The Málaga P1 ended with both world’s No. 1 pairs standing atop the podium.

On the women’s side, Brea / Triay outlasted Josemaría / González (a Málaga native) in an instant classic, winning 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 after more than three hours of play. The victory marked their fourth title of the season and first P1 crown since Rome, while snapping a five-match losing streak against the No. 2s, claiming their 13th title together.

On the men’s side, Coello / Tapia dismantled Lebrón / Augsburger 6-2, 6-2 in just 53 minutes, extending their winning streak to five consecutive titles and defending last year’s Málaga title. Lebrón and Augsburger appeared to have little left in the tank after surviving a grueling semifinal against No. 2s Chingotto / Galán.

Beyond the action on court, NBA legend (+ frequent local player in San Antonio) Manu Ginóbili and fellow Argentine ex-NBA star Pepe Sánchez were in attendance. And following the tournament, the Spanish pros made sure to celebrate their country’s World Cup victory.

Looking ahead, Premier Padel Tour heads into its final stop before the summer break, with inaugural P1 events in Pretoria and London up next.

🎯 Quick Hits

Per a IAPPF compensation report, head pickleball coaches can earn up to $200,000 annually, while comparable padel roles command a 15-40% pay premium due to a shortage of qualified coaches. (🇺🇸)
- Side note—if you’re a facility owner or operator, the IAPPF is also collecting data for its first industry benchmark report, which you can contribute to via a confidential survey here.
Per a newly-released report on the Irish padel scene, search interest is up 23x in five years, and €5M has been committed to building 300 new courts by 2027. (🇮🇪)
Pittsburgh-based brand GAMMA Sports has officially entered padel, launching a product line featuring five racquets, balls, and accessories. (🇺🇸)
Padel has earned a spot in the 2027 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia. (🇲🇾)
Community musings:
- Are creepy men discouraging women from playing padel?
- Supported by detailed charts, a player tracked the pressure loss of unopened balls over a month across different brands and retailers… and found they typically lost >22% of their pressure without ever being hit.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Ho Chi Minh, 🇻🇳
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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The Rolex Effect

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:42:10 GMT

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Another great week witnessing padel’s accelerating momentum Stateside. Huge thanks to Pro Padel League and Mink Padel for having me back in NYC. From the nail-biting matches at an iconic Midtown venue to the inclusive, community-driven culture in Harlem, there’s tons to be excited about. If you’re reading this, you’re still early ;)

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel has a watch problem now. Three luxury brands have signed on, and one just made history with a woman.

The US also continues to get in on the pro action. The Pro Padel League launched its season in NYC featuring ten franchises, a Kalshi deal, and some good ol’ grassroots community building.

Also in this issue:
— Why playing better players won’t magically make you better
— Miami activations and Canadian academies
— Lululemon drops another padel breadcrumb
— Racket brand resurrection theatrics

…and plenty more. Dale campeón!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

No new court openings this week, but last week, we were graced with ten courts coming to two opposite regions, plus an official soft-opening!

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Until September 15, Miami-based Padel X is running a pop-up “summer club” in Miami Beach featuring World Cup watch parties and beginner sessions supported by NOX and Playtomic.
Also in Miami, Reserve Padel brought together Premier Padel, FIFA, and the FIP for an activation featuring football legends John Terry, Ashley Cole, Marco Materazzi, and global sports executives.
Our friends up north are getting busy too… Toronto’s District Padel & Pickleball Club partnered with M3 Padel Academy, the Spanish training powerhouse behind 15 World No. 1 players, 243 international titles, and 1,100+ students worldwide, to launch its first 🇨🇦 academy.
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📈 Up Your Game

You Don’t Need to Play Better Players to Improve

Ok sure, playing stronger opponents is valuable.

But per this 7.5 minute video from The Padel School, here’s the catch: playing better players raises your level during the match, but doesn’t automatically raise your level as a player.

Tactically, playing better players will undoubtedly expose bad shot selection, poor positioning, and moments where you’re giving away free points. They force you to understand why you’re making certain decisions.

But technically, playing better players won’t solve the problem. After all, technique requires repetition. A higher-level player might simply end the rally before you get enough reps. A training partner, ball machine, or even a slightly lower-level opponent can actually give you more opportunities to build better habits.

And if you want to improve mentally, compete! The pressure of a tournament, the nerves when you’re expected to win, and the frustration after mistakes are where mental toughness is developed.

A good rule of thumb:

25% of your time → play below your level to work on technique, confidence, and consistency
50% of your time → play at your level to test your skills in realistic match situations
25% of your time → play above your level to challenge your tactics and decision-making

This way, you’ll build a game that works against everyone. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Padel’s Watch Wave Reaches the Women’s Game (🇨🇭)

2026 is becoming the year luxury watchmakers officially put padel on their wrists. We started the year in January with Rolex making its first-ever move into padel, signing men’s No. 1 Arturo Coello to a brand roster that includes Federer and Tiger Woods. It was a pretty bold bet, as Rolex typically waits until a sport looks structurally permanent before committing to an athlete. And it rarely signs anyone this early in their career arc (with Carlos Alcaraz serving as an interesting comp).

Four months later, Audemars Piguet followed, backing Agustín Tapia (the other men’s No. 1) and becoming the official timekeeper of the entire Premier Padel tour.

Now it’s July, and Swiss watchmaker Gerald Charles has entered the game, signing Gemma Triay — one half of the women’s No. 1 pairing and one of padel’s loudest advocates for prize-money and visibility parity. Her deal is the first of its kind on the women’s side, arriving six months after the men’s wave started.

Padel continues to join tennis and golf as a sport where dominant women are drawing luxury-watch attention (Sabalenka has an Audemars Piguet deal, Serena Williams had one for years).

My open questions are (1) whether padel’s version of that trend moves faster than tennis did, and (2) how luxury brand deals will continue to stack up between men’s and women’s players.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

The North American Circuit’s Big Apple Kickoff (🇺🇸)

In Midtown Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom, the Pro Padel League kicked off its 2026 season (which I had the pleasure of attending) with four days of action featuring all 10 franchises and over 50 of the world’s top players. On court, the DC Matrix’s Iñigo Jofre and Alex Arroyo captured the men’s title while the San Diego Stingrays’ Claudia Jensen and Veronica Virseda claimed the women’s crown.

Off court, following last week’s broadcast partnership announcement with CNBC, the league announced a multiyear deal with the popular prediction market Kalshi. It also doubled down on grassroots growth by hosting a youth clinic at Mink Padel in Harlem in partnership with local community organizations.

Pregamin’ the Málaga P1 (🇪🇸)

This week, attention shifts to the Premier Padel Málaga P1. Men’s No. 1s Coello / Tapia arrive looking for a fifth consecutive title, while hometown favorite Bea González returns to defend her Málaga crown alongside fellow women’s No. 2 Paula Josemaría.

Beyond the title races, Málaga marks the debut of several new women's partnerships. It also serves as the final event for a number of men's pairings before an even bigger reshuffling begins at the Pretoria P1 in two weeks.

🎯 Quick Hits

Doha has been awarded hosting rights for two consecutive editions of the FIP World Cup in 2026 and 2028. The event features a record €1.2M prize pool in 2026, rising to €1.35M in 2028. (🇶🇦)
Following its March collaboration with Tempe, AZ-based franchise Conquer Padel, Vancouver-based Lululemon just launched a pop-up padel court at a busy UK shopping destination. (🇨🇦🇬🇧)
The US Junior National Team battled through the Pan American Junior Circuit in Colombia, gaining valuable experience ahead of October’s Finals in San Diego… and one American pair stormed back with three straight playoff wins to close the tournament on a high. (🇺🇸🇨🇴)
Once an undisputed padel racket king recently sported by top-10 pros, Varlion is attempting a resurrection… but this revival comes with a family feud, competing brands, and an ongoing legal battle. (🇪🇸)
European Deaf Padel and the International Padel Media Association have teamed up to bring greater visibility to deaf athletes, starting with the European Deaf Padel Circuit Sevilla 2026. (🇪🇺🇪🇸)
The first FISU World University Championship brought student-athletes from 20 nations to Málaga, where Spain and Italy emerged victorious. (🇪🇸🇮🇹)
Mixed doubles: yay or nay? 🤔

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Málaga, 🇪🇸
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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Padel's Latest Divorce

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:43:27 GMT

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Before we dive into this week’s edition, I want to take a moment to remember Fernando Alarcón and his daughter, Sophie, who tragically passed away in Florida at the end of June.

An Argentinian immigrant, Fernando was a pioneer of American padel, a former Team USA player and coach, and the founder of Miami’s Ultra Padel Club. He spent decades laying the foundation for the sport in the US. Sophie was following in his footsteps as one of the country’s brightest junior talents, proudly representing Team USA on the international stage.

While I never had the chance to know Fernando personally, the overwhelming outpouring of love and stories from across the padel community makes it clear how deeply he impacted the lives of so many. My thoughts are with the Alarcón family and everyone who knew and loved them. May their memories be eternal. 💔🕊️

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

CNBC officially made padel a cable-news sport Stateside, the world’s No. 1 pair got dethroned by opponents who’d lost to them nine straight times, and we have an unexpected breakup on the loose.

And in metro NYC, private padel just got embedded inside a public park, while two continents are leading by example in women’s padel.

Also in this issue:
— There lob hacks you had no idea about
— American cruise line joins the padel party
— Top global players return to 🇺🇸 since the Miami P1
— The “right side leftie” debate

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

Over in metro NYC, Roslyn Padel just opened, making it one of the first notable US examples of a private padel operator embedded within a public park system. The opening brings four outdoor courts powered by Reserve Padel, with court bookings now available through Playtomic. Beyond standard court time, the club is launching clinics, open play, and community-focused programming. Its grand opening featured live music, wellness activations, food, and “Beat the Pro” competitions.
In West Jordan, UT (part of metro Salt Lake City), Padel Park is having its grand opening this week, featuring six indoor courts and 40-foot ceilings. The facility pairs competitive play with a social lounge, pro shop, and built-in recovery space.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Over in San Jose, CA, Bay Padel is having their official soft-opening on July 11, featuting six outdoor courts.
Per insider sources, Cube Chicago Padel now has nationwide soccer facility operator Sofive as its new owner.
Unfortunately, after two years, Orlando Padel Club Indoor is closing its doors.
In Richmond, VA, Padel Plant broke USA Padel’s 100-level attendance record via its first-ever Virginia Padel Open.
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📈 Up Your Game

Stop Treating the Lob Like a Bailout Shot

POV: you’re pinned at the back of the court, scrambling just to stay in the rally, so you throw up a desperate lob and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, if you’re under heavy pressure, your lob will most likely be too short, too slow, or too predictable… giving your opponents an easy bandeja, víbora, or smash.

In this 9-minute video, coach Mauri says one of the biggest misconceptions in padel is thinking the lob is a defensive shot. Rather, the best lobs are offensive weapons.

That said, play your lob when you have time, balance, and control instead of survival mode.

A few other gems worth noting:
— Power comes from your legs (not your arm). Think low to high and let your whole body lift the ball.
— Prepare early. If you only show your racket at the last second, your opponents immediately know a lob is coming.
— Not all lobs are created equal. Against players with great overheads, use a faster, flatter lob that rushes their preparation. Against others, go higher and deeper to force an awkward bandeja.
— Depth matters. A lob that reaches the back glass is far more likely to force a defensive overhead than one that lands short.

TLDR, aside from being an “escape hatch,” the lob is often the shot that lets you take control of the point. Master it, and you’ll spend a lot less time defending... and a lot more time owning the net. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

Two Continents Closing the Same Gap (🇬🇧,🇰🇪)

Two unconnected data points landed this week, and together they're pretty interesting and help better connect the dots on the sport’s trajectory.

Across the UK, Padelstars (one of the country’s largest padel operators, with close to 15 locations) launched She Rallies, a free women-only taster series running every Friday in July across its clubs. Per COO Jeevan Gill, if operators don’t actively intervene now, the sport calcifies into a male-dominated one… just like plenty of racket sports did before it.

In Nairobi, coach Cherryl Fouasso started a successful ladies’ clinic at Padel Point for ~$11 a session to combat what she’s been seeing across local tournaments, with 70+ men registering against <20 women. Her ladies’ clinic (capped at four women per session) has moved 150+ players from beginner to intermediate.

From an operator POV, women are structurally underrepresented in padel registration numbers everywhere the sport is young (cough, cough, 🇺🇸). Whoever can build the onboarding infrastructure first (i.e., dedicated sessions, small cohorts, sense of “belonging”) will own that demand before it becomes contested.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

A BIG Breakthrough + Unexpected Divorce (🇫🇷)

The Bordeaux P2 delivered two thrilling finals and another reminder of just how competitive the Premier Padel circuit has become.

On the women’s side, Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen captured their first title together (and Icardo’s first-ever Premier Padel crown). After knocking off the No. 2 seeds Josemaría / González in the semifinals, they upset world No. 1s Brea / Triay 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the final. Furthermore, Icardo and Jensen had entered the match 0-9 all-time against Brea and Triay. 🤯 The duo become the fourth different women’s pair to win a Premier Padel title this season. Highlights here.

The men’s final added another chapter to one of the sport’s defining rivalries. Coello / Tapia rallied from a set down to defeat Chingotto / Galán 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, extending their winning streak to four consecutive Premier Padel titles. After surviving a tightly contested second-set tiebreak, the world No. 1s pulled away in the decider to claim their 25th victory in 38 meetings against Chingalán. Highlights here.

Off-court, following their premature quarterfinal exit, Leo Augsburger’s flamboyantly outspoken agent, Lisandro Borges (who’s repeatedly accused all-time padel GOAT Fernando Belasteguín of doping), announced he was stepping down as Augsburger’s longtime agent, publicly criticizing Juan Lebrón (Leo Augsburger’s current playing partner) and calling his entourage “toxic.” Borges said he respected Augsburger’s decision to remain alongside Lebrón, but believed it was the wrong path for the young Argentine's career. Augsburger, however, responded with a heartfelt farewell, thanking Borges for five years together and writing, “Nobody will fill that place. Nobody could do it better than you.”

Looking ahead this week, we turn our attention to the much-anticipated Pro Padel League season debut in New York City, where the league also kicks off its new broadcast partnership with CNBC. If you’ll be there as well, hit me up!

🎯 Quick Hits

Miami-based Regent Seven Seas Cruises is rolling out a new “sports deck” aboard one of its ships, featuring padel, pickleball, and yoga zones. (🇺🇸)
PadelXpo is officially launching as the UK’s first “all-in-one” 200+ brand padel trade show, with its first-ever event set for June 2027 in Birmingham. (🇬🇧)
Namibia Padel Federation has officially launched, becoming the sport’s formal governing body in Namibia. The organization will roll out national rankings and school-based development. (🇳🇦)
From July 1-12, APM Monaco is turning the terraces in front of the Casino de Monte-Carlo into a pop-up padel court. The initiative is backed by top F1 driver Charles Leclerc. (🇲🇨)
The International Association of Padel and Pickleball Facilities is bringing padel education via an official partnership with the Athletic Business Show, one of North America’s largest gatherings for facility owners, architects, and parks & recreation leaders. (🇺🇸)
Over in London, World Padel Network just announced a “Clash of the Coaches” tournament in early August, exclusively for instructors from across the UK and Europe. (🇬🇧,🇪🇺)
Players debate: Is having a left-hander on the right side sneakily one of the biggest structural advantages in modern padel?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Aspen, CO, 🇺🇸
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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POV: The Only 🇺🇸 at the World's Largest-Ever Padel Tournament

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:38:01 GMT

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Most of you know the drill by now… every Tuesday, I break down what’s happening in the global padel space from a US POV.

But I also do my fair share of padel travel. I was at the Miami P1 back in March, and that piece landed well enough that when I found myself at the Buenos Aires P1 in mid-May (apparently — per the media registration desk — as the only 🇺🇸 in attendance), I knew I had to write this one too.

Overall, Miami showed me where US padel is, while Buenos Aires showed me where it can be. Both are part of the Premier Padel tour featuring the same players and practically identical prize money, but the sport is embedded in Argentine social life in a way it isn’t Stateside… yet. In the US, padel still feels like something trying to convince you it matters.

Last thing I’ll quickly say, I’m an American who loves this sport and wants it to win at home. Think of this piece as a “here’s what they do right, here’s what we should steal” field report, written by someone who loved being immersed in the havoc, mate, cumbia, puffer coats, and a fan section with drums, horns, and zero interest in letting the poor chair umpire get a word in. I froze my ass off and caught a nasty chest cold, yet would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Anyway, here are my observations from the highest-attended padel tournament ever held:

It’s a completely different atmosphere.

Mate was the stadium’s unofficial sponsor. Hot water, thermoses, yerba, and bombillas were everywhere… I’d estimate ~85% of groups had mate with them. There were official refill stands (~$3 USD per top-up) with super long lines, and signs on trash cans specifically asking people not to dump yerba waste in them. I haven’t seen a beverage and a sporting event this fused anywhere else.

The rampant whistling was also new to me. Miami crowds murmured at tense moments, while Buenos Aires whistled and shouted. I started tracking when it happened and confirmed the pattern with the group next to me: “cuando hay momentos picantes”… aka when things get spicy (i.e., a contentious umpire call, a borderline-intentional body shot, a sloppy unforced error, or players debating something at the net). See what I mean?

In the Spanish-speaking world, padel has its own celebrity fan culture. Argentine rapper/singer Milo J pulled up and hung out with Agustín Tapia, the same way Carlos Alcaraz cameo’d with Arturo Coello in Miami less than seven weeks earlier. This feels like the padel equivalent of celebrities appearing courtside at an NBA game. I can't help but wonder if that ever becomes normal in the English-speaking world. (And no, Derek Jeter and Jimmy Butler don’t count.)

Left: Milo J with Agustín Tapia at this year’s Buenos Aires P1 | Right: Carlos Alcaraz with Arturo Coello at the Miami P1, less than seven weeks before.

Even the technical glitches felt more communal. The scoreboard went black periodically; the crowd booed, then erupted ~10 minutes later when it came back. Outside noise was a real problem too… food stands blasted music mid-point, players complained to the umpire, and spectators were visibly annoyed. I expected a “mature” market like Buenos Aires to run tighter than newbie Miami, but it didn't. Doesn't matter… the crowd still had a blast.

There’s a gigantic infrastructure gap.

Estadio Mary Terán de Weiss is a covered, open-air stadium (so no outside wind, but no heating & cooling either) with a ceiling around 140 feet. I thought the ~45-foot ceiling at the Miami Beach Convention Center was somewhat(?) adequate (though I witnessed the ball clip the ceiling at one point in a women’s round of 32 match), until I watched players here rip lobs 70+ feet up without a second thought. Watch the 8:50 mark of this men’s Round of 16 match, for example, and look how long the ball hangs. The whole rhythm of the point is slower, more deliberate, and requires more geometry to (re)cover. Like it or not, seems like we’ve accidentally embraced low ceilings as a distinguished hallmark of American padel. 🤷‍♂️

The attendee profiles were different too. In Miami, the majority of fans were active padel players and/or those who worked in the space. In Buenos Aires, I talked to tons of people who straight up don’t play. They came for the same reason many Americans who’ve never played baseball still go to MLB games. Clearly, the sport has crossed the barrier from “niche enthusiast product” to “general sports entertainment” in Argentina.

And just like how I’d turn on ESPN to watch an NBA game back home in the States, I can turn on ESPN in Argentina and find Premier Padel. Commentators, match breakdowns, post-match analysis, everything. Meanwhile in the US, our coverage is fragmented across Red Bull, YouTube, and tour-owned platforms that mostly reach people already inside the ecosystem in a “if you know, you know” kinda way. Until padel lands on a major US broadcast network, the fan base will keep recruiting almost exclusively from people who already play.

That gap showed up in the stands too. A Tuesday afternoon Round of 64 here had more people and energy than plenty of the later rounds I watched in Miami, and enough fans to fill Miami’s entire Center Court.

The semifinals drew a world-record 16,920 spectators—more than the final itself—likely thanks to cheaper tickets, a four-match slate instead of two, and more time for the atmosphere to build.

And to my astonishment, the majority of random locals I talked to had no idea the tournament was happening that week. Unlike Miami, they at least knew what padel is, but their reactions were usually somewhere between “they have events like this here?” and “wait, the pros are in town?” Even in one of the most mature padel markets on earth, the gap between people who play and people who follow the pro circuit seems almost as wide as it is in the US. 🤯 However, to give Buenos Aires credit, they installed a pop-up court directly beneath the city’s iconic Obelisco with people playing on it throughout the days leading up. Naturally, tons of folks stopped and watched. If us Americans are looking for a playbook move to steal for future Miami (or other US city) P1s, this is definitely one.

The women get real love here.

In Miami, I noted an uncomfortable crowd gap between men’s and women’s matches (~2-2.5x more fans in the stands for the men). Buenos Aires was a completely different story, with essentially full crowd parity. As a disclaimer, I’d say slightly more bodies were in seats for the men’s matches, but I think that’s a function of tournament scheduling and infamous Argentine punctuality (or rather, lack thereof). Women’s matches always came first; by the time the men started, more people had trickled in. Regardless, I think the difference is negligible and can tell you firsthand the spirit and enthusiasm of the crowd never changed.

Point being, the women’s matches drew huge crowds, noise, and passion. Fellow Argentine (and women’s No. 1) Delfi Brea, in particular, had a paparazzi-like following. Fans were waving signs and sporting Delfi masks, while Bullpadel made Delfi stickers (see below). The US isn’t there yet, but ojalá soon.

The next generation is already built in.

Kids were everywhere, and it was by design. Here, local youth padel schools and federations receive free or heavily subsidized group access. One regional push alone, for example, brought 620 kids across 21 padel schools to a single day of the tournament. This is the perfect playbook for how the long-term fan pipeline takes care of itself. Miami, take notes.

They had how many racket brands?

I walked through a seemingly endless tent of padel racket brands and shot an Instagram reel documenting every brand represented. I’ll let you go watch it and count yourself. TLDR, unless you’re a household name like Bullpadel, Nox, Babolat, Siux, Head, etc., capturing market share must be a steep uphill battle.

Here are additional ideas I'd steal for a US event.

A couple of these you've already read about above, such as the pop-up Obelisco court and youth subsidization. Some extras worth spelling out explicitly:

Silent sponsor graphics instead of looping commercials. Buenos Aires had no commercials through the quarterfinals, and even at the semis and finals, sponsor messaging ran as silent on-screen graphics. Qatar Airways (the main sponsor) still got their point across without being a buzzkill, and the event “breathed” more as a result. Meanwhile, Miami had four sponsor commercials on a loud, repeating loop each day that are now practically tattooed into my brain.
Better VIP seating. This is admittedly pretty petty, but Buenos Aires VIP boxes had couches, tables, and footrests. Miami’s contained four rows of un-cushioned seats.
VIP boxes in Buenos Aires (left) vs. Miami (right)

Here’s where you should sit.

I rotated through virtually every section of the central court stadium over the course of the week, which gave me a pretty clear picture of the viewing experience from each angle. Imo, if you’re close to the court, sit behind the back glass. You get the players’ perspective, you’re not looking through the metal cage (or reja, rather), and the intimacy is unmatched. If you’re farther up, sit on the side; the elevated, horizontal view of the full court gives you a much fuller POV.

You gotta go.

And look, I thought Miami was fun, and I still highly recommend. But seeing the sport in its native habitat is a different kind of education. You understand the context and learn a couple things you can bring back to your local club. You meet folks you’d never cross paths with otherwise. And it creates one hell of a story you’ll have for the rest of your life. As an American who made the pilgrimage, I see Buenos Aires as a “north star” or reminder that the next decade of American padel will require a different kind of infrastructure than the exclusive model most US clubs are currently defaulting to.

I can and will do this again. If you ever want to tag along, hit me up!

— Aris

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The Kids Aren't Alright

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:30:08 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The Eastern Time Zone is fillin’ in. And the king won a title in his hometown, then his partner turned around and called the conditions “not pretty padel.”

Meanwhile, we’re in the midst of a youth development K-curve. Oh, and a cartel lieutenant thought padel was worth blowing his cover for.

Also in this issue:
— Why “hero smash syndrome” keeps you donating points
— Looks like the UK’s biggest padel problem is similar to ours
— Municipal padel continues its gradual trickle into the US
— What does proper warm-up etiquette look like?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Per our friends at Padel Nation, Arena Club is bringing two indoor padel courts to Chattanooga, TN, alongside 12 pickleball courts, a fitness center, rooftop plunge pool, upscale dining, and social spaces. It's a fitting development for a region that was home to one of America's oldest padel courts before it was recently demolished, giving East Tennessee a fresh opportunity to reclaim its place on the American padel map.

Now Open

In metro Detroit, the city of Southgate, MI has officially opened a municipal racquet sports complex featuring one outdoor padel court (for now, given strong municipal interest to add more 😏), alongside six pickleball courts and two tennis courts. The $1.5 million facility also includes lighting, permanent shade structures, and spectator seating. This announcement comes shortly after another municipal court addition in the Texas panhandle.
NY/NJ-based Nicol has officially opened three outdoor padel courts in Fort Monmouth, NJ, marking the next phase of its growing racquet sports community. Founded by former World No. 1 squash player Peter Nicol, the club blends squash, pickleball, and padel, with additional outdoor amenities still under construction.

📈 Up Your Game

Coello Teaches (in English!) How to Avoid “Hero Smash Syndrome”

Just like you and me, even World No. 1 Arturo Coello has fallen victim to trying to force a sexy smash winner when the smart play is still available.

In this 5-minute video, Coello (whose English is quite good!) explains the importance of choosing the right lob to “kill.”

If and when you do decide to go for a smash, first decide the type of outcome you want, which is either (1) a controlled “por tres” setup, or (2) a true winner attempt.

Second, as you go for that smash:

Remember that contact point is king! Whatever you do, do NOT meet the ball low or drifting. You want it at the highest, cleanest point you can reach to give you optimal control, direction, and (of course) power.
Rather than watching the lob and hitting squarely “at” it, rotate so your body is already aligned with where you want the ball to end up.
Legs (not arms) are the engine that generate controlled depth and angle. Thus, no flat feet!
A “70%” smash aimed correctly is more lethal than a “100%” attempt that comes off the glass and resets the point. Direction > power.

TLDR, think critically about which ball is genuinely worth smashing. And when you do decide to pull the trigger, be smart about how you execute. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

The Widening Youth Development Gap

The Rafa Nadal Academy just launched a full annual youth padel residency program incorporating an academic curriculum, on-site nutrition, and sport psychology. Based in Mallorca, 🇪🇸, it’s the first program at that scale to treat padel development the way elite tennis has been treated for decades.

An equivalent doesn’t currently exist in 🇺🇸. Right now, the closest thing is Mouratoglou Academy in Zephyrhills, FL, with a year-round tennis-focused boarding school, with five padel courts. They might be gradually looking to replicate their model for padel… but for now, it’s just an amenity inside a tennis academy. And similarly, the internationally-renowned IMG Academy in nearby Bradenton, FL only has padel integrated as a complementary off-court activity and cross-training sport. You also have USPA-endorsed coaching certification programs like RB Padel Academy and Premier Padel’s new global clinics platform tied to tour stops.

What's strange is that similar infrastructure already exists. Mouratoglou, IMG, and dozens of smaller tennis academies have the courts, the boarding, the coaching systems, and junior pipelines. Why hasn’t adding padel-primary development become a bigger trend? Is there still not enough incentive yet?

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Hometown Hero Delivers a Killer Finish (🇪🇸)

The Premier Padel Tour wrapped up the Valladolid P2 with a pair of emotional victories. On the men’s side, world No. 1s Coello / Tapia continued their dominant run, defeating rivals Chingotto / Galán 6-4, 6-3 to claim their fifth title of the season and third consecutive championship. The victory carried extra significance for Coello, a Valladolid native, who celebrated the trophy alongside family and friends in the iconic Plaza Mayor. Highlights here.

Despite the win, Tapia offered an interesting critique of the tournament conditions. With soaring temperatures causing the ball to fly (thus causing points to end quickly), he argued that the ultra-fast court speed took away from the sport's tactical side, calling it “not pretty padel.”

On the women’s side, González / Josemaría returned to the winner’s circle with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 dub over Sánchez / Ustero. After seeing their five-tournament winning streak snapped in Rome, González and Josemaría responded in style to capture their sixth title of the season. Highlights here.

With Valladolid now in the books, the tour wastes no time shifting its attention to the Bordeaux P2.

🎯 Quick Hits

After 30+ years as the “United States Padel Association,” the US’ national governing body just officially rebranded as USA Padel. The move signals a new era for American padel, with leadership teasing major partnerships, new programs, and platform investments as rapid growth continues. (🇺🇸)
The 2026 UK Padel Report just came out, highlighting the sport’s nationwide bottleneck: turning “trial players” into habitual ones through better pricing and venue design. With peak-hour courts averaging ~£42/hr, but players’ willingness to pay clustering far lower, operators now face a clear tension between commercial returns and building a sustainable, mass participation sport. This sounds eerily familiar to what we have Stateside… (🇬🇧)
Premier Padel just launched its own podcast (in Spanish), dubbed “Bandeja de Premier Padel,” with the first episode released this past week. (🌎)
Four of America's top collegiate players will represent the US at the 2026 FISU World University Padel Championship in Málaga. Suerte! (🇺🇸,🇪🇸)
Just in time for the fourth, Babolat is launching a USA-exclusive “red, white, and blue” racket collection. (🇺🇸)
An organized crime group lieutenant resurfaced in plain sight within Dubai’s competitive padel circuit. Guess hiding takes a back seat when the addiction’s calling 🤷‍♂️ (🇮🇪,🇦🇪)
Turns out, Lionel Messi has confirmed his favorite sport outside of soccer is padel. (🇦🇷)
Players debate: what is proper warm-up etiquette?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 La Massana, 🇦🇩
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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What the Players Say vs. What Gets Announced

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:34:53 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The World No. 1 openly wants to wear the Swoosh. Closer to home, Brooklyn is getting a padel venue with a rooftop. Plus, women’s padel growth… real, or just PR?

Also in this issue:
— How to optimally read tricky serves
— Alcaraz makes another cameo
— Venue drama on the pro circuit
— Miami is the US padel capital, but what about the UK?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

In Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood, BK Padel just signed a 10-year lease for 38,000 square feet, with the space split across a ground floor, mezzanine, and (notably) a rooftop that could make this one of the few padel venues in NYC with outdoor play. The deal repositions a long-vacant retail building into what brokers described as a “large-scale, nontraditional retail space.” BK Padel has no public website yet, so court count and opening timeline are still unconfirmed.
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📈 Up Your Game

What Good Players Do Against Tricky Serves

Turns out, there’s no such thing as an unreturnable serve.

In this <10 minute video, Coach Sandy from The Padel School (who is now a key voice on the Premier Padel tour) says most players struggle with spin serves because they react to the bounce instead of reading the spin before it happens.

There are only three types of spin you need to understand:

Slice: The ball stays low after the glass
Topspin: The ball kicks higher after the glass
Sidespin: The ball changes direction after the bounce

The key is to watch your opponent’s racket path. If they’re brushing down, slice. If they’re brushing up, topspin. If they’re coming across the ball, sidespin.

Once you identify the spin, your positioning becomes much easier:

Slice: Move closer to the glass because the ball will stay low.
Topspin: Give yourself more space because the ball will jump higher.
Sidespin: Anticipate the change in angle instead of letting it surprise you.

However… reading the spin is only half the equation. You still need a split step as your opponent makes contact, early preparation, good footwork, and a solid continental grip. Leaning forward as you anticipate the serve can also do wonders.

Lastly, remember that the pros rarely hit outright aces. So next time you face an opponent with a tricky serve, know that you’re fully capable of hitting a great return!

🌍 International Happenings

One Pro’s Reality vs. One Region’s PR (🌎🇨🇭🇶🇦)

A few weeks ago, I casually asked a a friend on the women’s Premier Padel circuit about her favorite and least favorite destinations to play. She didn’t hesitate to tell me her least favorite, which was “anywhere in the Middle East.” While fans there come in droves for the men, it’s practically crickets for the women.

So it was interesting timing when last week, Qatar Sports Investments brought women’s padel to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. There, QSI Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi called for every girl to have access to sport. And on behalf of the International Padel Players Association (an association that promotes the development of women’s padel worldwide, currently led by world No. 1 Gemma Triay), Maria Teixidor highlighted the progress the women’s game has made (i.e., equal prize money at 90% of tournaments, world-class venues, same facilities as the men).

All true. And even Al-Khelaïfi himself admitted that economic sustainability for the women’s game is “still a long way from being achieved.”

But after seeing this, I candidly can’t help but wonder if this is genuine progress or a well-staged photo op. Maybe it’s some of both. Either way, it’s worth tracking whether Premier Padel stops in the Middle East (and elsewhere) start filling stands for the women, not whether a room can get filled in Geneva.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Reserve Cup Marbella Wraps In Style (🇪🇸)

The second edition of the exhibition-filled Reserve Cup Marbella concluded at Puente Romano, with Team Sierra Blanca Estates crowned champions across a $700K prize pool. The headline match featured Alejandro Galán and Leo Augsburger, the “all-natural-backhand experiment,” making their debut as a pair. They jumped out to a 6-1 lead against Arturo Coello and Javi Garrido before completely unraveling, ultimately losing the super tie-break 10-5. Highlights here.

Coello (MVP) and Lara Arruabarrena (MVP) took the individual honors. The tournament also debuted a women’s draw this year, which landed well. At the awards ceremony, Marbella’s Deputy Mayor announced the event is locked in through 2030.

Carlos Alcaraz showed up too. Still rehabbing his wrist (he’ll miss Wimbledon), the world tennis No. 2 spent Thursday courtside next to Reserve founder Wayne Boich

Pregamin’ the Valladolid P2, feat. the Elephant in the Plaza (🇪🇸)

Premier Padel heads to Valladolid this week, where Coello / Tapia return to defend their title in Coello’s hometown across a ~€265K prize pool.

Off-court, things are a bit awkward… local political groups are publicly opposing the event’s use of the 16th-century Plaza Mayor as the venue, citing heritage impact, four weeks of disruption for setup/teardown, and a €1M public subsidy for one week of competition.

🎯 Quick Hits

Last week, reports suggested Nike was targeting Agustín Tapia as the face of its planned entry into padel. This week, NOX, Tapia's current sponsor, acknowledged that Nike approached the World No. 1, while Tapia himself called the prospect of joining the Swoosh “a dream.” (🇺🇸🇪🇸🇦🇷)
As padel scales across North America, Bounce Padel Courts, a court manufacturer and installer, has partnered with global sports surface supplier Mondo to integrate performance turf into its North American installations. (🇨🇦🇮🇹)
It’s pretty clear that Miami is the US’ padel capital. But what about in the UK? With 38 clubs and 145 courts, this city punches well above its weight. (🇬🇧)
Dealing with chronic blisters? Players discuss surprisingly practical fixes here.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Valparaíso, 🇨🇱
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Nike Wants Padel's Best Player. But He's Already Taken(?)

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:40:10 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Nike is finally entering the sport, with a 2027 launch on the table… and its first signature target is reportedly none other than world No. 1 Agustín Tapia. But what about Tapia’s deal with NOX?

We’ve got the full story below.

Also in this issue:
— FIP rewrote the 2027 rulebook, and American players caught a break
— Stop hitting bandejas that bounce like beach balls
— Handshake & future teammate drama
— Publicly funded courts finally hit the US!

…and plenty more. Game, set, let’s go!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Down in Wellington, FL (66 miles north of Miami), R&B Sports Center is developing a private, invitation-only sports and wellness campus. Slated to open in 2027, the project will feature padel courts alongside tennis facilities (including an indoor clay court), plus recovery amenities, a music studio, café, martial arts space, skate ramps, and a pump track. Founded by renowned tennis coaches Betsy Nagelsen McCormack and Rodrigo Nascimento, the club hopes to emphasize youth development, mentorship, and creating pathways for aspiring athletes.

Now Open

Austin, TX-based Padel39 just held the grand opening for its long-anticipated East Austin flagship location, officially becoming the largest padel club in Texas (yeehaw!). The facility brings 12 outdoor padel courts (including four covered courts and a dedicated singles/training court) to one of 🇺🇸's fastest-growing padel markets, while combining padel with fitness, wellness, and food & beverage offerings.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

It’s no secret padel’s biggest problem in the US is accessibility, not demand. That gap is part of what gives the sport its “elitist” perception in our country. But fortunately, in Amarillo, TX, publicly funded courts, nonprofit leadership, and community-first programming are now offering a very different blueprint for how the sport can scale. America is finally starting to copy the European blueprint, and the future is looking bright!
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📈 Up Your Game

Stop Hitting Bouncy Bandejas

I’ve been noticing this a lot with my game recently, but I constantly find my bandejas hitting the opponent’s glass and popping up like a beach ball, suddenly teeing up an attacking shot for them. 🤦‍♂️

In this 8-minute video, coach Sandy from The Padel School indicates the problem is usually insufficient movement that happens before the swing.

Most rec players watch the lob instead of reacting to it. They see the ball go up, admire its flight for a second too long, and then start shuffling backward with tiny steps. By the time they arrive, they’re late, cramped, and forced to contact the ball behind their body.

The result is an open racket face, an upward swing path, and a bandeja that sits up begging to be punished.

THE FIX: move before you think you need to.

As soon as you recognize the lob, split step, pivot, and use a few explosive crossover steps to get behind the ball.
Your goal is to create enough space so you can strike it comfortably in front of your body.
- Once you’re there, remember this: “High racket, low finish.”
Start with the racket above the ball, let it travel slightly downward through contact, and keep the trajectory relatively flat. Add a touch of slice and you’ll produce the kind of low-skidding bandeja that buys time to reclaim the net.

Suerte a todos!

🌍 International Happenings

A New Rulebook, With 🇺🇸 Players In Mind

During the Italy Major in Rome, FIP and Premier Padel came up with a package of changes for 2027, which were officially announced this week.

Before we break this down, you (rightfully) might be asking why these rules seem so fickle when organized pro padel has already been around for 21 years. What you might not know, however, is that over these 21 years, pro padel has been rebuilt three times:

Pro Padel Tour (2005-12)
World Padel Tour (2013-23)
And now, the FIP-governed Premier Padel (2024-present)
- Within this current era, we’re only in year three. And unlike these prior two eras, padel is seeing rampant worldwide player & fan growth, which significantly complicates things. So yes, we’re in a new stage of “infancy,” hence these frequent regulatory changes.

So with that all said, here’s what’s coming in 2027 for the pro circuit:

The world’s best players can no longer “play down” in FIP’s lower tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze) to (1) pick up extra ranking points and/or (2) stay sharp between Premier Padel stops… those tiers now belong to players still climbing the ladder.
1. This is a big deal for rising 🇺🇸 players, as the CUPRA FIP Tour only arrived in the US for the first time in October 2025 (FIP Bronze Austin, followed weeks later by FIP Silver San Diego… then Miami got its own FIP Bronze debut this past May). The USPA is now recruiting more US clubs to host FIP events off the back of that momentum.
  1. Point being, these entry-level events are exactly where an American player starts building FIP ranking points. Until next year, a top-20 pro from Spain or Argentina can parachute into one of these and torch an American tournament by knocking out the top locals in round one.
FIP is trimming the number of ranking-based tournaments from 22 to 21. Players pleaded for this to ease travel and boost recovery. However, almost everyone else in the room (i.e., promoters, broadcasters, commercial partners) wanted the opposite, arguing padel needs more exposure in new markets to support its Olympic push. 😬 TBD on how this one holds up…
To offset the decrease in ranking-based tournaments, FIP increased the ranking points awarded for early-round exits across the board. At the Majors, for example, a round-of-32 finish now earns 50 points instead of 35.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Women’s Upsets & Men’s Drama Hit the Valencia P1

On the men’s side, Coello / Tapia made it four titles on the season, but this one came the hard way. Down 5-1 in the deciding tiebreak against No. 2 Chingalán, the world No. 1s clawed back to win 6-7, 6-1, 7-6. Coello called it his 50th career title; Tapia credited the run to the work they’ve put in since Buenos Aires, after which we had significant concerns about his health and performance. Highlights here.

Things got tense in the semis, when Galán refused to shake Lebrón's hand after a heated on-court exchange mid-match. Now, just days later, the tour heads to the Reserve Cup in Marbella (June 18-20), where Galán will temporarily partner with Lebrón's regular teammate, Leo Augsburger (a player Galán had his own skirmish with a few months back). The exhibition at Puente Romano also features a new women's division headlined by World No. 1 Delfi Brea.

On the women’s side, No. 3s Sánchez / Ustero avenged their Rome finals loss, beating No. 4s Fernández / Araújo 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 for their second title of the year. However, what’s worth noting is who didn’t make the final. No. 2s González / Josemaría (winners of five straight titles, a record no women’s pair had hit before) were knocked out in the quarters by Ortega / Calvo, who’d lost to them four times this season. Meanwhile, No. 1s and Italy Major Champions Triay / Brea, got knocked out in the semifinals by Sánchez / Ustero, ending their steak of 13 consecutive finals. Highlights here.

And Alas… Nike Is Finally Entering Padel

The Oregon-based brand is finally making its long-rumored entry into padel, targeting a 2027 launch… and Tapia is the centerpiece signing they’re chasing. Nike scouts were reportedly on the ground in Buenos Aires and Rome this season. Tapia’s current deal with NOX runs through 2028 with a steep buyout, so any move likely waits… but a three-way arrangement (i.e., NOX racket, Nike apparel/footwear) isn’t off the table. 👀

🎯 Quick Hits

Our friends at Padel Nation released a guest article from Eric Loftus (who serves on the board of the American Sports Builders Association, among many other things) questioning the legality of outdoor padel courts in the US. (🇺🇸)
Padel is coming back to the Hamptons in Bridgehampton, NY for a Pro-Am charity showdown in early August, blending competition with poolside luxury. The event drives impact through The Brady Hunter Foundation, funding animal rescue, child welfare, and environmental initiatives. (🇺🇸)
The United States Padel Association has declared October as “national padel month” in an effort to take padel from rapid infrastructure expansion into scalable player adoption at the community level. (🇺🇸)
Padel Belgium has officially joined the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee. With this addition, the Belgian Olympic Committee now represents 86 national sports federations. (🇧🇪)
Spicy debate: Should players be allowed to wipe sweaty hands on the glass between points? While some call it unhygienic and distracting, others argue it’s standard practice, and even used at the pro level without controversy.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Santiago de los Caballeros, 🇩🇴
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Watching Tapia vs. Being Tapia

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:37:56 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Utah just got its first all-in-one racquet sports destination, while Chicago-native Pope Leo XIV caught the padel bug.

Meanwhile, most of the UK’s 1M+ players can’t name a single top-10 pro. But neither can most American players. Is padel building a player base while neglecting a fanbase?

Also in this issue:
— Why you’re too chicken to bury the weak ball
— Premier Padel’s longest match ever (+ what happened the next day)
— Headed to Paris this summer?
— Free padel courts to schools… could be a genius play

…and plenty more. Dale campeón!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

Just weeks after announcing its arrival, Utah City Racquet Club is officially opening its doors this Saturday (June 13) in Vineyard, UT (40-minute drive from Salt Lake City). Operated by LA-based LVBL, the facility brings together four padel courts, six pickleball courts, and two tennis courts in what the club describes as “Utah’s first all-in-one racquet sports destination.” The grand opening will feature free community programming for all levels, Wilson demo racquets, live music, and giveaways.

📈 Up Your Game

Why Didn’t You Just Finish the Point Already?

You’ve worked your way to the net. Your opponents are scrambling and send back a weak ball. But then... nothing happens because you play it safe, they recover, and suddenly you’re defending again :(

This <9-minute video from our friends at The Padel School details five ways to convert more of those opportunities into points:

Use the middle to create space. Instead of forcing low-percentage winners into the corners, play controlled volleys through the middle. When both opponents move toward the same ball, gaps open up elsewhere on the court.
Anticipate before the ball arrives. Pay closer attention to your opponents’ body position and racket preparation. If they’re stretched low, expect a defensive lob. If they’re scrambling, start preparing for the next attack before they even make contact.
Keep your feet alive. Instead of admiring your setup shot, stay on your toes, split-step, and move forward aggressively when a weak reply is coming. The extra meter you take away can be the difference between pressure and a reset.
Hit down on attacking shots. Whether it’s a volley, vibora, or overhead, the goal is making the ball stay low after the bounce (NOT maximum power). Players who contact from above the ball and work downward create much more difficult shots to defend.
Commit to your decision. Half-committed shots are often worse than the wrong shot. Select your shot and fully commit.

Overall, as your level rises, finishing points actually requires more patience. Even the pros may need 30+ shots to create the opening they’re looking for. Your job is to recognize the opportunities you’ve already created and capitalize when they finally arrive.

🌍 International Happenings

Can Pro Padel Build a Major Fanbase?

Per a Q&A with UK Padel’s CEO that dropped this week, most of the UK’s 1M+ players can’t name a single top-10 pro. As an American, I don’t think much of the US’ purported 1M+ players can either.

Easy to blame the language barrier. But many players and operators I’ve spoken with across Spain and Argentina say it’s a similar dynamic, even in their own countries. One line I heard recently sums it up:

“No one wants to watch Tapia. They want to be Tapia.”

Will padel’s viewership ceiling look a lot like pickleball’s, which has been floundering for years despite massive player growth? (More on this here and here.)

In North America, the Pro Padel League’s franchise format is the most serious attempt I’ve seen to crack this. Mixed pairings across ranking levels create genuine uncertainty, such that you can’t just pencil in Chingalán and move on. This’ll be worth watching, as the season opens July 9 in New York City.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Rome Restores the Hierarchy (🇮🇹)

On both the men’s and women’s sides, the world No. 1 pairs arrived at the Italy Major carrying unusual baggage. Coello / Tapia had lost four straight matches to No. 2 Chingalán, while Brea / Triay had lost five consecutive finals to No. 2 Josemaría / González. By Sunday night, both storylines were over.

In the women’s final, Brea / Triay defeated Sánchez / Ustero 6-1, 7-5 to defend their Rome crown from last year. But the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story... Sánchez / Ustero entered the match <24 hours removed from a grueling 4-hour, 12-minute semifinal… the longest match in Premier Padel history (highlights here). Highlights from final here.

In yet another chapter of the sport’s biggest rivalry on the men’s side, Chingalán were chasing a third consecutive Rome title. Instead, Coello / Tapia produced one of their cleanest performances of the season to capture their first title since Cancún, winning 7-5, 7-6 behind a superior winners-to-errors ratio (58 winners, 21 unforced errors). Mind you, this all follows our deep concerns regarding Tapia’s health. Highlights here.

Finally, another milestone came from Giulia Dal Pozzo, who became the first Italian woman to reach a Major semifinal.

🎯 Quick Hits

Chicago native Pope Leo XIV welcomed FIP President Luigi Carraro and pro veteran Paquito Navarro at the Vatican during the Italy Major. (🇻🇦)
Headed to Paris this summer? You can now play padel beneath the Eiffel Tower. The city’s 4PADEL Gustave court returns for its longest run, operating through September. (🇫🇷)
Irish operator Padel 100 is offering schools free padel courts, then monetizing public bookings outside school hours and sharing revenue back with the schools. (🇮🇪)
Players debate: honestly, why is beer so popular right after a game?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Dar es Salaam, 🇹🇿
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Proceed With Caution

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:22:52 GMT

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This last week, I was in Barcelona for the Padel World Summit (which was, I think, the first time I've seen the global supply chain in one space). Court builders, AI cameras, booking software, ball re-pressurizers, and everything in-between. There’s clearly a lot of hype around the sport, with the ecosystem filling in fast. The event boasted 7,208 professional attendees (up 20% vs. 2025), and 140 exhibitors from 30+ countries.

Also, huge thanks to my friends Jamie & Charlie at World Padel Network & Vibra Travel (respectively) for hosting a kickass event at the renowned Bela Center! Anyway, onward with the weekly rundown.

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The 2026 Playtomic Global Padel Report just dropped, but proceed with caution.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Time Zone is getting showered with fresh courts, while American youth finally hop in on the action. And the No. 1s have their backs against the wall headed into Rome.

Also in this issue:
— Diligencing America’s true padel appetite
— Your backhand gets therapy
— Pro loopholes get exposed
— European soccer’s padel love affair
— Is padel elitist?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

DUS Padel is bringing a premium, wellness-focused approach to West Palm Beach, FL with a new 26,000-square-foot indoor facility. The club will feature five courts, an organic café, recovery amenities including saunas and cold plunges, and the first official NOX Pro Shop in the US. The founders are positioning it as a true “third place” where members can play, recover, work, socialize, and attend events under one roof. Construction is underway!
Aside from clubs, we’ve seen padel pop up in US hotels, country clubs, residences, and now… offices! One of Manhattan’s most ambitious developments is set to include the only regulation-size padel court inside an office building. The planned 46-story, 850,000-square-foot tower will be just one block from Grand Central. The padel court will be part of a luxury wellness center featuring a tenant-only fitness club and spa-quality locker rooms. The project’s opening timeline has not yet been announced.

Now Open

In metro Miami, North Bay Village, FL is opening the Brent W. Latham Community Center this Thursday. Developed in partnership with the Argentine Football Association, the site includes two padel courts alongside four pickleball courts, a 11v11 soccer field, and several multi-purpose athletic zones.
Club Padel Newtown just opened outside Cincinnati in Newtown, OH, marking the metro area’s first dedicated outdoor padel facility in a region otherwise dominated by indoor and hybrid padel-pickleball setups. The club features four panoramic outdoor courts, alongside a full clubhouse with locker rooms, lounge space, and a pro shop. The club is rolling out leagues, clinics, junior programs, and tournaments, with booking already live via Playtomic.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

SLC Padel Club owner Pedro Bautista brought padel directly to local K-8 recess periods, introducing hundreds of kids to the sport.
A proposed temporary padel court at Rolling Hills Country Club has been pulled into the broader pickleball noise litigation saga in Wilton, CT, triggering a required public hearing as officials move to avoid inconsistent treatment across similar racquet-sport cases.
Padel Pals in Mesa, AZ is hosting an indoor, climate-controlled summer camp for children ages 6-12.

📈 Up Your Game

The Backhand: From Weakness to Weapon

Not sure about y’all, but my backhand sucks, and this 10-minute video was a game-changer. I (desperately) took some detailed notes, breaking it down into four areas where players often struggle:

Mistake #1: You’re leading with the grip
- Tennis players especially, listen up! Most players prepare the backhand by putting the face of the racket toward the side fence instead of pointing it at the net. As a result, you end up generating power with your wrist instead of your arm… which means inconsistency, unintentional slice, and if you keep it up long enough, a nasty wrist injury.
  - The fix: racket face toward the net from the start, wrist fully locked, push forward with your arm and shoulder. (The wrist is not invited to this party.)
Mistake #2: You’re lifting too early
- After contact, the racket goes up too fast instead of following through in the direction of the net. The shot bleeds pace, picks up unwanted topspin, and lands shorter than you intended (aka, right in your opponent’s wheelhouse).
  - The fix: imagine your racket traveling along the white net tape after contact. Push forward (not upward).
Mistake #3: Your feet are square
- Hitting with both feet on the same line robs you of body weight transfer. You end up muscling the ball with your arm alone, which is both weak and imprecise.
  - The fix: left foot back (for righties), body slightly open. That hip rotation is where your power actually lives.
Mistake #4: Your racket preparation height is wrong
- Preparing above ball level creates slice, while preparing below it creates topspin. Neither is what you want on a clean backhand drive.
  - The fix: You want the racket meeting the ball at the same height it arrives (i.e., flat contact, full control). When executed correctly, the ball jumps off the racket with less effort and goes exactly where you wanted it.

While you can get away with these mistakes at low speed, the faster the ball comes, the more your backhand weaknesses are exposed. As a final note, start with mistake #1; the others are downstream of it. Suerte che!

🌍 International Happenings

Wake Up Bro, We Just Got More Global Data! Here’s My Blunt Take.

So the 2026 Playtomic Global Padel Report (co-produced with my former employer Strategy&) dropped this week (which you can access here). If you follow this space, reading this is a must, but please take everything with a grain of salt! Many investors last year were hyper-skeptic on a few stats, notably the “92% player retention” metric.

Globally, the headline numbers include nearly 5,000 new clubs and 8,000 new courts added in 2025, bringing 🌎 totals to 20,900+ clubs, 58,300 courts, and 19.4 million players. 🇺🇸 is classified as a “Diamond in the Rough” (i.e., early stage, high potential, adding 250 clubs and 330 courts in 2025).

Here’s where I get cautious, especially given my international playing POV. The report heavily pushes a “Third Space” thesis (e.g., saunas, cold plunges, recovery zones). To me, that model makes sense for a narrow slice of operators. Sure, if you’re in a cosmopolitan (semi-)urban center with 3-4 courts and high rent, stacking amenities is a survival mechanism. But I feel like we’re like we’re using this as a universal blueprint nationwide, which can get hella misleading.

I came across a great Reddit thread this week, debating whether padel clubs are over-indexing on wellness. The top-voted comment was: “The main driver is always community, not amenities… My coach is there… they run 24 leagues… [and] that club just becomes your second home.” Community and programming seem to be where the money is, much more so than cold plunges.

Another idea-inducing comment I read: someone mentioned their club just has a pool table. People stick around, grab a beer / smoothie, and play a game or three after their match. I love this idea because it’s low cost, there’s no operational complexity, it doesn’t take up much space, and it builds the kind of community culture many US clubs are desperately missing.

To me, while there’s 100% a need for luxury padel, most US clubs would be better off prioritizing tight leagues, tournaments, and beginner clinics at prices people can afford to play 3x+ a week to actually get good, rather than chasing a “wellness” arms race that inflates prices, shrinks the addressable market, and slows adoption… especially amid a declining US consumer market.

Lastly, I’ll also flag that per the report, the US leads the global market pricing-wise at “€92 per average booking” (which seems to suggest per court reservation, not per-player). Virtually every American club runs on a membership model, meaning players are paying a fixed monthly fee on top of court fees. This isn’t broken down in a per-session booking figure. To me, the real all-in cost for a court reservation in the US seems substantially higher than €92 suggests. In mature markets like Spain and Italy, membership models are rare, and clubs compete openly on court price + quality alone. That’s a very different business model, so broadly comparing these booking prices across countries without providing the methodology raises more questions than answers.

Overall, the direction is right and there’s certainly growth, but please proceed cautiously. There’s tons of marketing that overhypes this sport as an asset class, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ the Italy Major

The Premier Padel tour shifts to Rome this week, where the BNL Italy Major kicks off this week at the iconic Foro Italico.

On the men’s side, all eyes remain on the battle between flailing world No. 1s Coello / Tapia and the red-hot No. 2s Galán / Chingotto, who have already collected five titles this season and won the last two Rome finals. Another major storyline is the long-awaited reunion of Navarro / Di Nenno. Once one of padel’s most beloved partnerships, the pair reunites after Di Nenno’s difficult start to the season, with the Argentine already saying he believes Paquito can help bring back his best level.

The women’s draw may be harder to predict. While Triay / Brea enter as the top-ranked pair, Josemaría / González have won the last five tournaments on the calendar, repeatedly defeating the world No. 1s and arriving in Rome with enormous momentum.

Some Albanian Drama

While Premier Padel paused, several top players took advantage of the FIP Platinum Albania to chase valuable ranking points and match reps ahead of Rome. Stupaczuk / Yanguas captured the title, earning their first trophy of the season heading into the Italy Major. Despite the world No. 3 pair lifting the trophy, social media pointed to visible frustration and uneven on-court chemistry during key moments.

Meanwhile, Iñigo Jofre drew criticism after partnering with Hong Kong’s Lok Hei Jamie Yau, a player ranked outside the world’s top 900 who gained direct entry through the “combined ranking system.” The pairing reignited debate about loopholes in the FIP registration process, though Jofre defended the decision, insisting the duo had followed all rules.

Finally, if you’re a Premier Padel obsessionist like me and want more English-speaking intel on the pro scene, check out The Padel Report here!

🎯 Quick Hits

What does a mature 🇺🇸 padel market actually look like? Our friends at Padel Nation crunched the numbers and came to a provocative conclusion: America’s court ceiling may be far higher than skeptics think, but far lower than the industry’s loudest evangelists predict.
Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme is proposing turning the club’s training complex into a massive sports and social hub with 40+ padel and tennis courts. (🇪🇸)
Premier Padel and Red Bull have launched the sport’s first major mobile game, letting fans compete online, build clubs, and climb from local leagues to the Majors. (🌎)
As Budapest prepared to host the UEFA Champions League Final, Premier Padel Chairman / Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi brought together figures from across the sports industry for a game of padel. (🇭🇺🇪🇺)
Is padel elitist? While some players point to expensive gear, ranking apps, and finance-heavy club scenes, others argue it’s simply a fast-growing sport going through the same social stratification cycle as tennis, cycling, and golf.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Vientiane, 🇱🇦
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

El Remate

Padel > Frat Parties?

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

So Who Should Play Left?

Argentine GOAT Bets Big on College Padel (🇺🇸)

Threepeat Incoming? (🇳🇱🇩🇪🇯🇵)

US Padel Is Booming... Kinda

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

The “70% Rule”

Padel Is Growing Stateside, But We Gotta Keep It Real (🇺🇸)

Waves Made in Mexico As International Race Heats Up

Who Is Padel Really For?

Now Open

Rethink Your Serve

Building Two Different Padels (🇬🇧)

The Calm Before the Storm (🇲🇽🇦🇷🇳🇱)

“We Are Not a Serious Sport”

What to Do Post-Chiquita

More Courts Coming than What’s Already Built (🇬🇧)

A Serious Tournament, But “Not a Serious Sport” (🇫🇷)

(Don’t) Believe the Hype?

Coming Soon

Now Open

Three Killer Adjustments You’re Forgetting About

(Don’t) Believe The Hype? (🇺🇸)

Madrid Shakes Up Race to #1 (🇪🇸)

The $10M Texan Padel Bet

Coming Soon

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Stop Attacking From the Wrong Place: NYC Edition

Borrowing Everyone Else’s Spotlight (🇦🇹🇩🇪🇫🇷🇦🇺🇦🇷)

Pregamin’ Madrid, + a Med Games Debut to Remember (🇪🇸🇮🇹)

5,000 People Showed Up to Play Padel… at an Airport

Coming Soon

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

The Secret Way Pros Strategize Overgrips

No Club Needed Anymore?

Pros… Pros Everywhere

Padel's Secret Power Couple, Revealed

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

The Overhead You Forgot to Use

Big Money Comes for German Padel (🇩🇪🇫🇷)

From LA & Mumbai, With Love [In the Air] (🇺🇸🇮🇳🇮🇹)

The UK Is a Siren Song for US Padel

Now Open

On the Down-Low 🤫

The Proper Time to Play the Chiquita

Is 🇬🇧 Becoming a Warning for 🇺🇸 Padel?

One Record, Two Breakups (🇬🇧🇺🇸🇮🇳)

Has Padel Become Too Fast?

Coming Soon

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Fix Your Bajada

Team USA Men’s *and* Women’s ➡️ Padel World Cup

“What Have We Just Witnessed?” (🇿🇦)

Americanization, Plagiarism(?), and Celeb Beef

Coming Soon

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Wanna Feel Faster? Quit Trying to Run Faster.

Americanization, Plagiarism(?), and Celeb Beef

Pregamin’ Pretoria. New Ball, New Team. (🇿🇦)

Coach Salaries. Global Alliances. Creepy Men.

Coming Soon

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Defend a Víbora Properly, for Once!

Cross-Border Partnerships Reach the Sport

Dynasty in the Making, feat. NBA Bigshots (🇪🇸)

The Rolex Effect

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

You Don’t Need to Play Better Players to Improve

Padel’s Watch Wave Reaches the Women’s Game (🇨🇭)

The North American Circuit’s Big Apple Kickoff (🇺🇸)

Pregamin’ the Málaga P1 (🇪🇸)

Team USA Men’s and Women’s ➡️ Padel World Cup

And Alas… Nike Is Finally Entering Padel