Padel is entering a new phase of tremendous opportunity and potential.
The U.S. has just surpassed 1,000 courts and amazingly, 1,000,000 players, up from near zero when we formed the Pro Padel League (PPL) just a few years ago.
Most people assume that as padel grows, the professional game will naturally evolve with it.
But growth alone doesn’t create a successful professional sport. We’ve seen this in racquet sports for decades: players traveling constantly around the world on their own dime, their earnings solely tied to results, negotiating their own sponsorships, and often spending more on tournaments than they make.
In professional tennis, ~50% of the total prize money is earned by just 20 players amongst the sport’s top 100 players. In 2025, the top two male and female players earned more than $10M in prize money, and only the top ~30 male and female players earned over $2M. Many aspiring pro tennis players rely on another job to support their tennis careers. Contrast that with the NBA, where in 2025, 420 players were on fully guaranteed contracts, with an average salary of ~$14M.
At the Pro Padel League, we are building the future of racquet sports: an athlete-first league that will support hundreds of full-time male and female padel players. With $15M recently raised and backing from major professional sports investors, we’re moving quickly to bring this model to life.
Following our upcoming PPL Draft on April 30, players will be signed to guaranteed multi-year contracts. And with all tournament expenses covered and first-class support, our athletes will be best positioned for long-term success.
When it comes to earning potential, we treat men and women the same: equal prize money and an equitable expanded competition calendar which gives players consistent and more frequent opportunities to compete, earn and be seen, while still preserving a true off-season.
Padel is a team sport and our players will compete with support from their franchise, league and fans. With that structure, players will build their brands and careers – on and off the court – in their local team markets and beyond.
At the same time, the PPL is building the media, partnership, and infrastructure to support players at every stage of their careers – and to create a clear path from youth to the professional level.
We’ve seen this model thrive in professional team sports. The result: superstars, loyal fan bases, and long-term earning opportunities for players, teams, and the league.
The model works because it is built around players.
The league and the sport won’t succeed unless our players do. When players earn more, build their brands, and grow their careers, everything else grows with them – teams, fan bases, and the league. That’s how we win and build something that lasts.
This is what we are building at the PPL:
A sport where players building long-lasting, high-earning careers is the norm.
A sport with teams and fan bases that show up with passion.
A sport that becomes part of culture – and lasts.
This moment matters. How we build padel now will define what it becomes.
At the Pro Padel League, we are building that future, and we are building it now.