PATL co-founders on bringing padel to new areas in the US

PATL is making its presence known in America, opening new clubs, hosting tournaments and participating in club league events across the southeast. Co-founders Andrew Herring and Kevin Ye tell Padel Business Magazine about their experience in opening clubs outside of established padel hubs, how vital partnerships have been to PATL’s growth, and their strategic vision behind building vibrant padel communities.

When PATL launched with its grand opening party in December 2023, Atlanta didn’t have any fully dedicated padel clubs.

The state’s massive tennis community, known as the tennis capital of the world, hadn’t yet opened up to padel like in other parts of the US. PATL co-founders Andrew Herring and Kevin Ye knew the city’s love of racquet sports would make it an ideal market for their first venture into padel club ownership.

Now, after successfully operating for almost two years and with a second location in Louisville, Kentucky, PATL plans to expand to new locations to build on its momentum so far.

PATL’s Atlanta location features four outdoor WPT (World Padel Tour) courts, world-class LED lighting, and access to quality padel equipment through its partnership with Babolat. Louisville has three WPT courts, and it sits right by the Ohio River, offering guests scenic views while playing. 

Herring and Ye have known each other since college. They competed together in tennis at Kenyon College, Ohio and helped deliver an NCAA Division III National Indoor Championship. Neither knew about padel until a few years ago, learning about it through social media before trying it out.

PATL grew from an idea to execution in a relatively short time, as Herring and Ye scouted for possible locations. Central to their plans was to build padel communities in areas outside of established hubs like Miami and New York City.

Opening PATL in Atlanta

Located in the vibrant northeast Atlanta neighbourhood of Chamblee, PATL’s flagship location has grown thanks to Atlanta’s diverse population. With over 6.4 million residents and counting, Atlanta is the eighth-fastest-growing metro area in the US.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has remained the busiest airport in the world since 1998, making the city a hub for international travellers.

In North America, Latin Americans have driven much of padel’s explosive growth. Padel has been popular for years throughout Latin America. Atlanta’s Hispanic/Latin population grew by 37% over 10 years, bringing a love of padel to the city along with them.

Ye says Atlanta’s immigrant residents have helped drive increases in membership. Open play has been the most popular offering, thriving on the social aspect the sport naturally encourages.

“We do see a lot of Spanish-speakers and Europeans and Latin Americans that do come and play,” explains Ye.

“The majority of them already know what they're looking for in the sport. So there is a good community based around those different groups. We have quite a few different people from different backgrounds, and we're just trying to connect people with others.”

Expanding into Louisville

PATL’s Louisville location opened last April and has taken a different path to establishing itself. Herring, a Kentucky native, thought a second location could work in his home state.

Although Louisville is a smaller city compared to Atlanta and has a different cultural mix, it does have a lively racquet sports community.

A recent $65 million proposed renovation of the historic Louisville Tennis Center demonstrates its interest in expanding racquet sports. In addition, the city’s pickleball scene has been thriving, leading the nation in the number of courts per 100,000 residents.

PATL partnered with Goodbounce Pickleball Yard to install its WPT courts alongside its pickleball courts. “I think Kentucky for us is a really good example of that, where we're starting to do a good job of growing there and building there,” says Herring.

“When you're in Kentucky, you're 20, maybe 30 minutes away from each end of town, going through. So if you're building a facility that's cool and deliver a really high-quality product, people will come to that.”

In both locations, PATL has developed solid local partnerships, which have been key to getting established.

The value of partnerships

In establishing itself in markets where padel wasn’t already thriving, PATL has relied on the strength of its partnerships to propel it forward. PATL’s flagship Atlanta location worked with the ITP Training Academy, a premier racquet sports facility in the city, to build padel courts alongside its existing tennis courts.

Ye, through his personal connection with the owner and the facility, secured a deal that led to Atlanta’s first padel club.

“I grew up playing tennis at that facility before he purchased it a few years ago. They were gonna build more tennis courts there, but part of the property cuts the court size off by a little bit, so they weren't able to build.”

Ye continues: “Because I had that personal connection with him, it was a little bit easier to try to get that partnership worked out. And it's been great ever since.”

PATL’s Louisville location established a similar partnership with Goodbounce Pickleball Yard. Established in 2023 with six outdoor pickleball courts, dining and a game yard, it had space for padel courts.

Herring credits the success of PATL’s Atlanta location and a strong business plan with securing the partnership with Goodbounce Pickleball Yard.

“Our real estate agent at the time just found this pickleball club on the river in Kentucky with space for courts. They were previously bocce ball courts that got absolutely no use. So the deal for that got worked out really quickly.

Herring adds: “The people in Louisville are super easy to work with. We already had the framework for the partnership that we'd done with the ITP. It's been a really good partnership. Their sole concern is just getting people to the club. So everybody's aligned where we're just trying to help grow it.”

In addition to its real estate partnerships, PATL began a tie-up last year with renowned racquet sports brand Babolat. Herring and Ye believe working with such a popular brand has been a boost during the early stages for both locations.

“They're super active all across the south with events they sponsor, and they're very eager to make sure that things are as easy as possible for us, like with getting players sponsored,” says Herring. “They've invested so much into us and the whole process, which has been great.”

Building a community through hosting and participating in tournaments

PATL has been actively community-building since its very beginning. The Atlanta location is certified as a USPA Premier Club, reflecting its dedication to growing padel in the US.

Premier clubs are able to bid and host the most prestigious USPA tournaments, including USPA 1000s, Majors, Masters Finals, and FIP-sanctioned events.

PATL prioritises hosting tournaments, which helps it raise its profile locally and nationally. PATL’s Atlanta location hosted the 2024 Atlanta Open as part of RedPadel’s Circuit Season. The $25,000 purse drew between 40 and 45 teams, providing ample networking opportunities for players visiting nationwide.

Both PATL locations host a number of local tournaments, like the USPA 250 tournament that the Atlanta location hosted last June. The Louisville location will host the Kentucky Padel Open this year, a local competition to attract experienced and newer players.

PATL has also been active in travelling for club competitions. It has participated in the America’s Cup for two years in a row, including the inaugural tournament in its new format this January in Sarasota, Florida.

Ye explains how actively hosting and participating in tournaments serves as a marketing tool for PATL and helps grow padel nationwide.

“The more we can participate and stay engaged, the more aligned we are with what we are trying to do on the local level, and from that, we can grow to the national level, too,” says Ye.

“It's good to see different types of people coming out and being able to just enjoy the sport. That's what makes us happy is having a place where people can come and build those relationships with other people, but also play padel.”

Expansion plans

PATL plans to open another Atlanta location in West Midtown this year. It will have a different setup to the flagship location, with more emphasis on the social component of padel.

In Kentucky, PATL will continue establishing itself while aiming to open an indoor facility soon. Herring says Louisville’s colder winter climate results in lost opportunities due to snow. Finding the right indoor facility will be challenging, but it would enable consistent playing throughout the winter.

PATL’s co-founders remain optimistic about spreading padel. Their goal is to continue introducing it to communities that have the potential to be padel hubs but are often overlooked.

“I think our vision for this is to be in multiple sections of Atlanta,” says Herring. “Definitely looking all across the south and the Midwest at other places that we could potentially go.”

“We're constantly seeking different opportunities and different markets as well,” says Ye. “If we can find something good, we'll keep pursuing it.”

Not yet a PBM subscriber? Sign up here for exclusive weekly insights into the padel industry, delivered directly to your inbox

For more insight and discussion, follow us on LinkedIn and join the conversation