Ballers is building a social house of sport.
What’s happening: The hospitality-focused pickleball/padel club operator landed $20M to open its first site in Philadelphia this July.
Club circuit. Founded by former Equinox executives, Ballers combines pickleball and padel competition with off-court amenities like a turf field, contrast therapy, and dining experiences
Backed by Philadelphia 76ers owner David Blitzer and tennis stars Andre Agassi, Kim Clijsters, and Sloane Stephens, it’s deploying $30M to launch its inaugural clubs.
Philly and Boston will debut this summer before Miami by early 2026. Planning 50+ locations over the next decade, it’s exploring LA, NYC, DC, Chicago, and more.
Big swing. Tennis, pickleball, and padel are hitting record-high participation, and 43% of participants play more than one.
While public courts in parks, franchises like The Picklr, and free-for-all’s like Toronto’s Fairgrounds rapidly scale up, private operators are applying wellness culture and hospitality to create premium third spaces.
As Life Time builds out in-club and ground-up gameplay, others are taking a social club model, with Moss, Padel Haus, and NJ’s Padel United adding spa treatments, supper clubs, and co-working
Punchline: Consumers young and old are desperate to connect. Betting on racquet sports, Ballers and others will rally members around healthy hobbies.
