Brittany Dubins is the New Face of Padel’s Future in the U.S.

If there’s one name I come across time and time again as I dig deeper into the rapidly emerging world of padel in the U.S. it’s most definitely Brittany Dubins — and with good reason…

She’s been a featured guest on the Padel Smash Academy podcast. She’s got her own padel podcast with Ben Nicholls of Padel 22. She’s all over platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn promoting the sport. And she was one of the very few U.S.-born players who competed in the Pro Padel League (PPL) last year.

Yet even though she’s rapidly emerging as a leading figure in the world of U.S. padel, she’s originally a tennis player… and she currently lives in Madrid, which just makes her story all the more interesting and inspiring.

The Road Less Traveled

While I’ve found it quite common to meet Spanish, Argentine, or Brazilian padel players who have moved to the U.S. to try make a living off racket sports in one way or another, it’s not every day you meet someone doing exactly the opposite.

When I ask Brittany how a Miami-born tennis player wound up as a professional padel player living in Madrid, she starts off by telling me, “My Dad put a tennis racket in my hand at four years old and I trained in tennis all my life, but I feel as though I maxed out my potential when I played college tennis at University of Miami (UM).”

After graduating from UM, Brittany discovered her love of both Madrid and padel while doing a semester abroad in Spain during her final year of law school (yes, law school!). As she said in her Padel Smash Academy interview, “It was over there that I discovered padel with my brother-in-law. They had a padel court near their house, and one day he said, ‘Okay, let’s play this. You’re good at racket sports. Let’s try it.'”

Try it they did. And, as is the case with most ultra-gifted athletes (Mike Puertas comes to mind), the period between “trying it” and dominating it was a short one for Brittany. In fact, after only playing a handful of times, she entered her first tournament at Madrid Central Padel and made it all the way to the finals.

Her play caught the eye of the club’s owner who encouraged her to join their women’s league. She recalls, “That opened some doors for me. I ended up joining the league and playing every week. And then I was asked to join a mixed team… and things just kept happening little by little from there.”

Just four short years later Brittany was one of the few American-born padel players competing in the inaugural season of the unique new Pro Padel League. And she tells me her goals now include, “Breaking into the top 100 ranked players in the world and being the first American to play in the main draw of a Premier Padel tournament.”

Big Goals, Long Distances

When asked by various people (including me) about the challenges of living in Europe while competing in a North-American-based league like the PPL, Brittany is all smiles. She tells one interviewer, “I fell in love with Madrid, the people, the culture. I fell in love with padel. And I knew that was the place to be if I really wanted to become good at padel.”

Then she follows that up by telling me, “I’ll do whatever it takes to make it work because I want to be a part of the history that is being made as padel is growing in the USA. Also, any excuse to come to Miami and see my family and friends is always a plus!

When I go home I always play at Pepper Park in North Miami. Andres Contreras is the head coach there and he has so much knowledge and passion about the game. He always welcomes everyone with open arms and and I am very happy to be able to play there.”

She’s also quick to point out how crucial sponsorships are to achieving her goals, saying, “NOX is my padel racket and shoe sponsor and Original Penguin is my apparel sponsor. I love then both so much!

Original Penguin has the classiest and most unique style. Every time I play people come up to me and compliment me on my Original Penguin outfits. Also, when I post on Instagram people always ask what brand I’m wearing and where they can find Original Penguin clothes.

NOX has the absolute best padel rackets in terms of quality and feel. The number one player in the world Agustin Tapia and padel legend Miguel Lamperti play with NOX. My padel racket is the NOX ML10 Pro Cup Silver and I love it so much because of the power and control I get from playing with it.

As a sponsor, NOX has been really supportive by supplying me with the best rackets and shoes while also believing in me as well as sharing my dream to see padel grow in the USA!”

Player, Promoter, Pioneer

Within minutes of starting to talk to Brittany about padel, it’s clear that her passion and ambition extend well beyond just competing as a professional.

Granted, she’s incredibly focused on playing at the highest level possible, and says, “I couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming PPL season and have to congratulate Marcos Del Pilar on his passion and determination to bring the amazing sport of padel to the USA. I still haven’t officially signed with any team but I have had conversations and am optimistic about coming back and being part of the PPL in 2024.”

She adds, “My plans also include playing more FIP tournaments and gaining more padel experience. I want to be recognized as the best female padel player in the United States.”

But as determined as she is to improve her play, she’s equally committed to be a leading ambassador for the sport both in the U.S. and around the world.

She tells me, “I’ve always said that the only thing better than playing padel is talking about it. I could see myself as a court-side commentator or post match interviewer in the future. Currently I have a padel podcast called The Padel Movement, which I’ve enjoyed very much and would love to continue doing it and help bring more awareness, knowledge, and news to our listeners. 

I would also like to be involved in helping the Junior USPA team continue to grow and develop. It would be wonderful to also put on some clinics and bring padel to new communities across the country. Once I stop playing professionally I can see myself dedicating more time to coaching, running an academy, and leaving my footprint on this amazing sport.”

The (Possibly Long) Road Ahead for Padel in the U.S.

While Brittany is overwhelming positive about padel’s overall future, she tempers her optimism about its growth in the U.S. with a dose of realism.

“Remember, padel has been a part of the cultures [of places like Spain and Argentina] for over 50 years. So, of course, a few things need to happen in order for the USA to join the padel leaders,” she states.

“First, we need to see more courts and clubs open up around the USA. A few years ago people didn’t even know what padel was and now that is clearly changing. Also we would need to see padel played in universities, maybe even become an NCAA sport and therefore create more scholarship opportunities. Otherwise parents will continue choosing to put their kids in tennis instead of padel.

Also the USA will need good coaches and academies so that young kids can train and improve. Finally Americans are really patriotic and love supporting their country, so getting padel to become an Olympic sport where the country can cheer on their team will greatly help to increase its popularity.”

For now though, Brittany is just soaking it all in and enjoying every minute of her padel journey, saying, “Sometimes with tennis you need a day off simply for a mental break and with padel that feeling has never happened, I always want more—it’s addicting. I love working hard to get better every time I step out in the court. That’s exciting for me. I’m not ready to stop playing anytime soon and am looking forward to being a part of the U.S. team competing in the World Padel Championships in 2024!”

If the first four years of her padel career are any indication, Brittany has a very bright future ahead of her, indeed — and the world of U.S. padel will certainly be all the better for it.