Exclusive Interview: Antonio Robert Aragonés explains Playtomic’s strategy for success

In an exclusive interview with Padel Business Magazine, Antonio Robert Aragonés, managing director of Playtomic, discusses the business’ challenge of scaling internationally, the importance of building community, and why Playtomic is so committed to supporting clubs and players alike. 

From Tech Entrepreneur to Padel Advocate

Antonio Robert Aragonés’ journey to Playtomic is one marked by a lifelong passion for padel and a career built around growing digital-first businesses. Having played the sport for over 30 years, he has a deep personal connection to it. 

Aragonés is a serial technology entrepreneur, having founded, led and sold numerous companies. One of his best-known ventures was Tuenti, a social networking platform known as “the Spanish Facebook” which was eventually sold to Telefonica, one of the country's largest telecommunications businesses, for $100 million in 2013.

It was at Tuenti where Robert first met and worked alongside Felix Ruiz Hernandez, the social media network’s founder. After Tuenti was sold, they both went on to pursue separate ventures in space technology. Eight years later, Ruiz tapped Aragonés once again with a new opportunity: to lead strategy and marketing for Playtomic.

The role at Playtomic is a perfect match for Robert, allowing him to merge his expertise in building and growing digital businesses with his passion for padel, and to explore the possibility of working on something that will deliver meaningful value for the sport he loves so much.

“I’ve always been a jack of all trades,” he tells Padel Business Magazine, reflecting on his varied roles in the technology industry. His experience has played an important role in guiding Playtomic’s recent growth and ensuring the company remains agile and responsive to the evolving needs of the global padel community.

Building on Playtomic’s Evolution

Since it was first established back in 2017, Playtomic – led by its three founders Felix Ruiz, Pedro Claveria and Pablo Carro – has evolved from predominantly being a software platform coordinating facilities management for clubs to become the world's largest marketplace connecting racquet sports enthusiasts to clubs and matches in their area. 

Aragonés first joined the company as chief strategy officer and interim CMO in May 2022, before becoming managing director in April 2023. Since being in that role, he has focused on building on Playtomic’s evolution, and says the key aim now is to ensure it becomes a “sustainable and viable business while maintaining the high growth it has come to experience over the last few years.”

Today, the platform hosts over 1.3 million players and 6,000 clubs across 61 countries, making a major contribution to padel’s phenomenal global growth. Of all the clubs and players it works with, 90% play padel, with some playing both padel and tennis. 

The Challenges and Opportunities of Global Expansion

The company shows no signs of slowing down either, with Aragonés noting it receives around four new onboarding requests every day from padel clubs in entirely new markets. 

However, expanding Playtomic’s footprint and meeting the demands of its growing network of club partners is presenting the challenge of, for instance, localising services in different languages, and above all Robert acknowledges the complexities of scaling internationally. 

“We spend a lot of resources and time making sure that when a country starts popping up on our radar, we’re able to meet the demand for play both at club and player level and deliver the same high-quality level of service that clubs and players have come to expect of Playtomic,” he says. 

Despite the challenges, he recognises that Playtomic is fortunate that little localisation is needed at the product level. “Most padel players have the same behaviours across the world,” he notes, pointing out that in some cases, such as the United Kingdom, expats familiar with Playtomic have driven padel adoption in the region.

When discussing growth markets, Robert is particularly enthusiastic about the opportunities in the UK, Germany and belatedly the US. “We’re seeing padel in these regions grow rapidly, and it’s exciting to be a part of that development,” he says. 

Robert also stresses that Playtomic’s international expansion is being driven by a combination of proactive marketing outreach and responsive customer engagement, ensuring it can adapt to the unique needs of each market. 

“The original team did a great job at brand recognition,” he explains. “We have been used across the world and we have a regional and sales team with a great reputation in the industry. So opportunities come up because clubs and players call us due to the footprint we have. Today, we are recognised globally and I think that speaks to our continued success.”

In high-growth regions, Playtomic takes a hands-on approach, with dedicated business development teams on the ground set up to build relationships and drive growth. “We’re very proactive in countries we cannot miss,” Robert notes, highlighting the importance of being strategic about market entry. 

Building a Global Community of Clubs

At the heart of Playtomic’s growth strategy is a commitment to fostering a strong, connected community of padel clubs because, as Robert observes, without an engaged club and player base the company would not be what it is today. Playtomic sees its role not just as a service provider, but as a partner in the long-term success of each club. “Our goal is to partner with clubs for life,” he emphasises.

To support this vision, Playtomic runs regular town halls with clubs, sharing insights and fostering a sense of community. “It’s important for us all to understand this is a nascent sport, so it’s not just about growing the user base of new players, but getting people to keep coming back,” Robert explains. 

“So, we need to build a user base who are not just passionate about padel the sport, but just as importantly, it’s about padel the community”. He believes this collaborative approach will be key to sustaining padel’s global growth in the years to come.

We particularly enjoyed Robert's insight highlighting the importance that post-match drinks have on creating community within clubs – anecdotal evidence suggests this applies to players and clubs across the sport globally, helping form bonds on and off the court.

Playtomic also invests heavily in customer success, with dedicated teams working to understand and meet the needs of clubs, whether they are sophisticated operations or smaller, family-run businesses. “We’re building teams to ensure we’re addressing the unique needs of each club, regardless of their size or business acumen,” says Aragonés.

Innovating for Players and Clubs Alike

Innovation is a core component of Playtomic’s strategy, both in terms of product development and how it engages with players and clubs. Aragonés is particularly excited about the company’s efforts to improve players’ experience through its app, investing in technology to keep padel top of mind for players. 

“We’re hiring amazing talent into product, technology and marketing roles to help us grow the frequency of play and bring more players into the sport,” he explains. “We never rest on our laurels and never get complacent, as we need to continually evolve as a company, just as the sport of padel grows.”

Aragonés also points to Playtomic’s commitment to data and transparency, as evidenced in the company’s efforts to share insights with the broader industry. Its Global Padel Report, created in partnership with PwC, provides valuable data for investors and local authorities, reducing barriers to growth and highlighting the positive impact of padel on society. 

“We’ve been in touch with industry leaders to do this together and make a joint effort,” Aragonés explains, underscoring once again the importance of collaboration in driving the sport forward.

The report is more than just a survey of industry data and trends, but also serves as a benchmark for investors looking to validate their entry into the sport of padel. Additionally, Robert notes that the data is being used by business leaders to lobby governments to support the development of padel. 

A Vision for the Future

As Playtomic continues to expand and innovate, Robert remains focused on the bigger picture: the joy and community that padel brings to people around the world. “What’s fascinating about padel is that everyone smiles while they are playing, independently of their level or experience,” he says, reflecting on the unique appeal of the sport. 

With Robert's attitude, Playtomic appears well-positioned to lead the industry into its next phase of growth, ensuring the spirit of padel remains at the heart of everything it does.

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