February 25, 2025 - Trends

Padel Clubs Bet on US Participation

Challenging pickleball Stateside.

Group of people playing padel outdoors

Ultra Padel Club

Padel is picking up the pace.

Courting. Americans are all in on social recreation, with tennis and pickleball forming subcultures as court space fills up.

Meanwhile, padel—a similar game arguably requiring higher athleticism—has taken Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East by storm.

Joining the racket sports arms race, investors are bullish on its US potential.

Topspin. Larger and more capital intensive than pickleball courts, padel’s footprint is relatively small — with just 454 courts in the US as of early 2024.

Taking advantage of its exclusivity, operators are scaling next-gen social clubs.

Premium facility operator Padel Haus has two clubs open and four in development, plus a seasonal pop-up in NYC’s Domino Park.
Operator of owned clubs and incubator of others, Epic Padel just raised $4.5M.
Miami’s Ultra Padel hosted the first US padel championships and added fitness classes and wellness services.

Growing the game, Canadian free-play facility operator Fairgrounds acquired padel lifestyle brand TWOTWO, while booking platform Playtomic partnered with its first US clubs last year.

Looking ahead: There’s a ceiling for racket sports, but we haven’t reached it yet. Just entering American consciousness, padel will align itself with wellness to take on pickleball.

Ryan Deer

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