If you watched the immensely popular drama series Shōgun that premiered on FX and Hulu earlier this year, then you’ll probably agree that while it was a fascinating narrative, it was also pretty darn challenging to follow at times.
Similarly, the growth of padel in the U.S. over the past 18 months or so has been nothing short of incredible to witness, but also a bit hard to keep track of at times. Which is why we’ve decided to put together a “cheat sheet” of sorts highlighting the key details on some of the rapidly emerging empires within the U.S. padel world.
To be clear, this list is by no means exhaustive. And while operators like Epic Padel, ACE Padel, and others will no doubt join this list very soon, for now we’re only focusing on operators that already have at least one club up and running or imminently about to open. But rest assured, we’ll be updating this list often.
Simply scroll down or click on one of the club operators below to learn more.
Sensa Padel
Padel39
Padel Haus
Taktika Padel
Ultra Padel
10BY20
Sensa Padel
Locations currently open: 2: Boston, MA and Nashville, TN
Planned future locations: 1: Austin, TX
What to know: Sensa Padel surprised many in the U.S. padel world (including me) earlier this year when they quietly opened their first club in Boston — rather than in Nashville, Miami, or Austin, as had originally been the stated plan (at least on their website).
But the opening of these four indoor courts was met with great fanfare and has sparked what looks to be a push by multiple operators to make Beantown a major padel hub in the U.S.
Sensa again surprised many (again, including me) by then beating Padel Haus to the punch and opening the first-ever padel club in Nashville last month, a six-court outdoor facility roughly 20 minutes from where Padel Haus will eventually open.
Unlike Sensa’s Boston location, which is housed inside a larger indoor sports complex, the Nashville location is part of a sleek, modern re-development known as Neuhoff.
In a recently conversation, Sensa CEO and Founder, Aditya Khilnani, told me: “We’re in Germantown, which is the eastern part of the city. We feel very lucky. It’s the perfect demographic for us. It’s very young, it’s hip, it’s fun, it’s where all the cool restaurants and bars are. It’s really like the Brooklyn of Nashville.”
“What we’re really excited about here is the location within Neuhoff — which is a new development that is launching sort of simultaneously and has a lot of history. It was originally a development from the early 1900s and has been through a lot of changes over the years. Underground jazz musicians used to play here, and rumor has it that over the years various people have won and lost property rights during games of poker.
[The developers] have totally rezoned the whole space to create a campus feel, where you can walk… where you have dog parks… where you have retail, residential, and office space. There will be lots of great restaurants and other great brands going into the space to create sort of a mini city of its own.
They’re really trying to create an experiential community. It’s 14 acres. People live there, work there, eat there, sleep there, and, of course, play padel there. Part of our responsibility within the community is to really be an activation play and really get people out there engaging in and enjoying the area,” he added.
If Instagram is any indication, Sensa Nashville is doing a great job getting people on the courts. They recently hosted a Wilson coaching certification weekend and will also be hosting the eighth tournament of the year on the RedPadel 2024 Circuit the weekend of October 18 – 20.
As for future locations, Khilnani explained, “The next one is going to be Austin. We have that under development, but we’re honestly not in a rush to open. We’re looking towards launching maybe end of this year or early next year. I think right now the focus for the company is very much on just continuing to build the community and attract new players in Boston and now Nashville.”
So, if you are anywhere in the Boston or Nashville area, please be sure to go visit.
Padel39
Locations currently open: 1: North Austin, TX
Planned future locations: 6+: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio (within next two years)
What to know: After first reporting on Padel39 and talking with their founder, William Boyce, back in March, this stylish North Austin padel club recently opened its doors in an area near the Domain (which is Austin’s premier fashion, luxury dining, and family-fun location) and Q2 Stadium (which is one of America’s best and newest soccer venues).
Boyce, who moved to the U.S. from France to play college tennis, only began playing padel relatively recently but says, “Having played tennis my whole life, I discovered that padel was incredibly addictive. It is easy to play, fun to learn, and yet challenging to master.”
Of his vision for Padel39 he adds, “We are bringing the authenticity of a European or South American padel club within a modern, world-class facility. At Padel39, anyone can enjoy padel — regardless of age, gender, and physical condition. The health and wellness benefits of padel are at the heart of [our] ‘beyond padel’ philosophy. So far, we are delighted by the fantastic response and support from the Austin padel community.”
Despite having just opened, Padel39 has already hosted a Padel MBA certification (which is no surprise given that U.S. padel legend Marcos del Pilar is an advisor to the club), and they’ll be hosting a 250-level NOX USPA Circuit tournament the weekend of October 25 – 27.
While their North Austin opening is exciting enough, Boyce and the team behind Padel39 have already announced plans to open at least six new locations across Texas over the next two years in locations including Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. So, keep an eye out for future updates!
Padel Haus
Locations currently open: 3 (all in Brooklyn, NY): Williamsburg, DUMBO, Domino Park (seasonal).
Planned future locations: 4: Greenpoint (Brooklyn, NY), Denver, Nashville, Atlanta.
What to know: While Padel Haus wasn’t the first padel club to open in the U.S., it certainly seems to be the club that put the U.S. on the padel world’s radar — and vice-versa. What’s more, it has caught the attention of the mainstream U.S. media time and time again.
Like the sport itself, Padel Haus Founder and CEO, Santiago Gomez, is from Mexico. And after leaving an investment banking career to open several award-winning restaurants in New York City, he decided to bring padel to the U.S. in style.
Padel Haus opened its first club in the one of ultra-trendy Brooklyn’s hippest neighborhoods, Williamsburg, before expanding to nearby DUMBO and opening seasonal outdoor courts in Domino Park. Future openings are slated for some of the most up-and-coming neighborhoods and developments in Atlanta, Denver, and Nashville.
In the meantime, Padel Haus has been building a thriving community of padel players and enthusiasts, and hosting everything from USPA Major tournaments… to next month’s first-ever U.S. Open Padel Championships… to next year’s inaugural U.S. vs. U.K. competition, the Anglo-American Padel Cup.
So, be sure to stay tuned for more big news out of Padel Haus — or, better yet, just go play at one of their ultra-popular, Nordic-chic clubs and see what all the fuss is about for yourself.
Taktika Padel
Locations currently open: 4: San Diego (at the Barnes Tennis Center), Los Angeles (inside the LA Galaxy Facility at Dignity Health Sports Park), Stockton (at University of the Pacific), Palm Desert (at the WYN Tennis Academy at Shadow Mountain Resort).
Planned future locations: To be announced soon
What to know: Whereas Padel Haus capitalizes on Brooklyn’s ultra-hip, trendsetter vibe, Taktika Padel really leans into California’s laid-back, surfer-chic approach to life with its more utilitarian, community-based offerings. So far, they’ve also tended to focus on building courts and clubs-within-clubs rather than dedicated standalone locations.
What’s more, despite operating courts in some of the priciest parts of California — and the entire U.S. for that matter — Taktika’s prices are some of the most reasonable and affordable you’ll find anywhere in the country, which speaks volumes about their immense dedication to growing the sport.
To that end, Taktika was also instrumental in bringing the first-ever padel courts to a college in the U.S. at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. And given the backgrounds of CEO Ryan Redondo and Chairman Gabriel Perez-Krieb that’s really no surprise.
But make no mistake, despite their more casual, toned-down approach, Taktika is always pushing the envelope, be it through groundbreaking partnerships (with the likes of the Paquito Navarro Academy)… top-notch coaching.. or hosting some of padel’s most prestigious and important tournaments and events.
From a recent conversation with their CEO, I know more exciting Taktika locations in California — and beyond — are on the horizon. So, stay tuned!
Ultra Padel
Locations currently open: 1: Miami
Planned future Miami locations: 5: Aventura, Brickell, Coral Gables, Design District, South Beach
Planned future national locations: 5: Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.
What to know: Ultra Padel started as a nice but relatively unassuming five-court facility in Miami, but then an ownership shake-up sent the brand on an entirely different — and infinitely more ambitious — trajectory.
For starters, Ultra began a massive expansion project at their original, flagship location that, once completed later this year, will make it among the largest padel clubs in the entire world.
For their second act, as we reported, they recently announced that they would soon be opening not just one or two — but five — new padel clubs in the greater Miami area. What’s more, according to their website, they’re also working on expanding nationally with future clubs planned in Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.
And as if that weren’t enough to take on, they’ve also released renderings of “Ultra Padel on the Water” — which will be the first-ever floating padel facility in the U.S.
In a recent conversation, Ultra’s Chief Padel Officer, Julian Wortelboer admitted that finding elite-level coaches to staff of all these new locations would be a challenge. But something tells me if anyone can pull it off, it’s Julian and the team at Ultra.
10BY20
Locations currently open: 1: Fort Lauderdale
Planned future locations: 4: Wynwood and Brickell (Miami), Doral, Wellington, Puerto Rico
What to know: Even if you’re fairly tuned into the U.S. padel world, there’s a chance you aren’t familiar with 10BY20 — yet. But that’s likely about to change very soon, especially considering 10BY20 has announced plans to bring 40 courts to six clubs spread across four distinct geographic locations.
You’ll find 10BY20’s original five-court club in Fort Lauderdale, but according to their website the Daddy-Yankee-backed concept has plans to also open new clubs in Wynwood, Doral, Wellington, Brickell, and even Puerto Rico.
Based on the club’s Google reviews and the comments from its 12,000+ followers on Instagram, it’s obvious 10BY20 is already gaining traction in a major way, and with four more clubs in the works, it’s likely only a matter of time before 10BY20 becomes a household name in the U.S. padel world.
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