Miguel Coelho interview: AMPX co-founder on designing customised padel courts

As padel expands rapidly in the US, AMPX is on a mission to provide tailored, innovative padel courts that do more than just serve as a playing surface for guests. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, it works with padel clubs in five states that are looking to build engaged communities, starting with the courts. Co-founder Miguel Coelho speaks with Padel Business Magazine about AMPX’s unique approach to building courts, how his coaching and architectural design background influences its process, and the keys to sustainable growth for both AMPX and padel in the US.

With the number of padel players in the US surpassing 100,000 in 2024, and with new padel clubs continuing to open frequently nationwide, the demand for quality courts across the country has never been higher.

AMPX was founded last year after spotting a void in the burgeoning US market. Formed in Phoenix, Arizona, the company provides custom court solutions. It considers a club's padel courts more than just a common commodity that can be overlooked when compared to other aspects of a club.

AMPX believes strongly that the quality of a club's padel courts can make or break a player’s experience. It takes an approach of building sustainable, innovative and ingenious courts that will help club owners build valuable communities.

Co-founder Miguel Coelho has been involved with padel since 2001, when he was in Barcelona studying for a Master’s degree in Design. He discovered that tennis clubs were either adding on padel courts or replacing the tennis courts completely with padel courts.

After seeing padel explode in his native Portugal, he later became the director of racquet sports of a community centre in Tucson after migrating to the US. Coelho drew from his time in Barcelona and helped transform its operations. This experience sparked his interest in contributing to the rise of padel in the US.

Coelho originally sought to build a club in Phoenix, but he saw the complexities of building a club from scratch in an area with only a handful of padel clubs open, and decided to pivot.

His unique background combines expertise in architecture and design with decades of coaching experience. Based on his skills and perspective, Coelho saw the opportunity to create a business that supports padel clubs with their most fundamental equipment.

“I said, ‘Let's just start with the courts’”, says Coelho. “I'm starting to get calls from people, and I already have renderings of the courts that I'm showing people.”

Coelho continues by describing how AMPX developed its process in consulting with customers.

“So all these things started coming together, and we started designing these courts. We want to be involved in projects from the beginning, from the design stage to also helping create programmes that fit their market. And probably this is where my coaching background comes in to help people run their clubs.”

AMPX’s process for building courts

Coelho explains how AMPX doesn’t just sell courts but makes them a vital part of guests’ experience. The philosophy behind AMPX’s process is to design courts with purpose and for longevity.

Coelho describes how AMPX works very hands-on and collaboratively with the club owners.

“We try to help customers think through that process and then find the best solution for them, providing them with lots of alternatives to try until they are comfortable to decide. The idea is that every court should be like a flagship for our customers.”

In Phase one, AMPX customises the courts to fit the club's branding and create the type of community they desire. Coelho consults with club owners, probing to understand their vision and find the best solution for them.

AMPX then meticulously installs the courts in Phase two. What makes AMPX stand out is its involvement with the club in Phase three as part of the ongoing support it provides club owners.

It offers operational strategies, programming guidance and staff training to help club owners maximise their investment in the courts. Coelho’s partnership with padel coaches and lengthy experience as a tennis coach himself and as the director of racquet sports allow AMPX to offer a service atypical for court manufacturers.

“I think that experience of getting to this institution that had been run the same way for the past 30 years, the challenge of convincing them somehow of changing things and it being super successful gave me courage. It gave me lots of confidence to face these types of challenges and I think I got addicted to these challenges now for AMPX.”

Selecting the right model of court

Although each court can be customised to the customer’s liking, AMPX offers three styles: the Alte, Panoramic and Standard courts. All of its courts are designed to maximise the satisfaction of its customers and guests. They are sustainably designed, built with eco-friendly, energy-efficient materials, require minimal maintenance, and are built for long-term durability.

-        The Alte is AMPX’s premium offering. It provides players with textured monofilament fibre turf for a superior playing surface and 360º visibility for players and spectators, among other features. 

-        The Panoramic court performs well in high-traffic venues and for tournaments. Its anti-corrosive steel structure and enhanced wind resistance highlight its appeal to club owners. 

-        The Standard court is best suited for public spaces like schools and parks. It offers affordability and professional-grade playability all-in-one. 

AMPX has seen the most demand for its Alte court, but Coelho doesn’t believe it’s always the best fit for club owners. 

“People tend to want the most expensive one. Very rarely, the best solution is the most expensive. And sometimes customers do because they're afraid they need to be, but sometimes it's not what they need. It is not usually the best solution for every customer. So we try to be very open about that.” 

Coelho emphasises that adaptability is a key trait in AMPX’s business dealings to ensure viable long-term partnerships. For example, he explains how AMPX offers its potential customers a pop-up concept to test the courts for their guests. 

“We are working with a retail operator and creating a pop-up concept. We're doing kind of a pilot thing where we run that club for three months, and then we have several options where they can take over or where we can stay as operators. We are very flexible on that.” 

Improving access to padel courts nationwide 

AMPX wants to increase access to padel courts nationwide by mitigating club owners' upfront costs and helping build publicly accessible courts. 

Coelho discusses how AMPX has entered into agreements with banks that will allow qualified customers the opportunity to finance 100% of the costs to install its courts. 

“We realised there were some concerns, and one of the barriers could be cost. The idea is that if a club wants to experiment, the overhead cost is minimal for them. I think that we need to get more courts out there. And with that, we all benefit from it.” 

Coelho also believes that AMPX’s ability to create portable courts makes adding padel courts to existing public spaces a low-risk, high-reward venture to grow padel. 

For example, he says homeowner associations and community centres could be ideal candidates for adding portable padel courts for their residents in this format. Due to the small amount of space they typically have, both could add portable padel courts with relative ease. 

Coelho points out the keys to getting padel into the mainstream conversation, referencing his experience as part of racquet sports communities in the US and when he was still in Europe. 

“I think we need to eliminate all those barriers. I think we have to create opportunities for more people to play. The secret is building community first. I think that if you don't build community first, you should be in a different business, right?” 

Expansion plans for AMPX 

AMPX plans to expand its presence first in Arizona, but it also operates in four other southwest states, including California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. Coelho says it is happy with its local installation team for now, but AMPX will reassess expansion plans towards the end of this year.

Coelho, who attended this year’s RacquetX in Miami, would love to eventually take on East Coast clients. He also details how AMPX plans to launch its own apparel this summer and eventually launch its own branded courts in the Phoenix area.

“On my efforts to bring this club to life, I made an agreement with the city here. And we're forming a public-private partnership to build a padel club, a big padel-only facility.” 

He adds: “I think access is fundamental. Getting kids to play is fundamental. Having grassroots programmes is fundamental. All these things are fundamental to the sport, right? If this becomes purely a business with no concern for the sport itself, I don't think it'll work.” 

Coelho says the idea of building a club started two years ago but was postponed due to extensive permitting delays. Building a padel club with a vibrant community remains a big goal of his.

Now that the AMPX brand has been created and is fully operational, Coelho believes it's only a matter of time before the company fulfills its original vision: setting new standards by creating spaces that go beyond the game. It aims to create environments that inspire beautiful padel play, foster community and thrive.  

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