🎾 PBM Weekly Newsletter - Issue 17

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the 17th issue of Padel Business Magazine – a publication and vetted community dedicated to helping padel industry decision-makers capitalise on the explosive growth and development of the sport.

Coming up this week:

• Ultra Club’s chief padel officer Julian Wortelboer outlines the keys to its exponential growth and explores how vital coaching is to a padel club’s sustainability.

• The Hexagon Cup is set for global expansion after entering a strategic partnership with Premier Padel and the International Padel Federation (FIP).

• Our round-up of other major headlines in the global padel business, including a project to build Los Angeles’ first permanent padel club, featuring seven courts, and French former footballer Zinedine Zidane’s plans for a new Z5 sports centre with 13 padel courts.

Enjoy the latest issue!

The PBM Team

P.S. We want to make this the best possible resource and community for you, so please share any feedback to: [email protected] 

The weekly serving

Essential news highlights to keep your padel business game sharp

• 🇺🇸 Los Angeles to get first permanent padel club with seven-court site

  Los Angeles Padel Club (LAPC) is to become the city’s first permanent padel club and clubhouse, with opening scheduled for summer 2025. Founded by commercial real estate developer Steve Shpilsky, and LA Beat owner and EEP Capital co-founder Christ Ishoo, the one acre-site in West LA will feature seven padel courts, including two full-time tournament courts.

• 🇫🇷 Zidane to open new Z5 sports centre with 13 padel courts
  French football manager and former player Zinedine Zidane is planning to open his fourth Z5 sports centre in the town of Toulouges, near Perpignan in southern France in the first half of 2026. The €5 million project will feature eight indoor and five outdoor padel courts, as well as five-a-side football pitches, a bar, restaurant, Adidas store, and seminar rooms.

• 🌏️ Ronaldo broadcasts Riyadh Premier Padel finals day on YouTube
  Cristiano Ronaldo streamed the finals day of the Premier Padel Riyadh Season P1, held earlier this week, live on his official YouTube channel, which has 73.8 million followers and is available in more than 130 countries. The footballer, who has invested in new padel centres in his native Portugal, currently plays for Riyadh-based Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

• 🇬🇧 Padel boost helps David Lloyd profits grow by 33% to £231 million
  Padel and pickleball helped UK health club giant David Lloyd’s profits grow by 33% in 2024 to £231 million. Membership also rose to 785,000, up from 755,000 in 2023. Of David Lloyd’s 105 clubs in the UK and Ireland, 27 offer padel courts, and 76 feature pickleball courts. The group plans to introduce padel courts at a further 20 clubs in 2025.

• 🇮🇹 Prada unveils new padel racquet priced €1,700
  Italian luxury fashion giant Prada has launched a new padel racquet priced at €1,700. The item, part of a new range of lifestyle equipment and accessories from the Milan-based brand, comes with a Re-Nylon case, made from recycled ocean plastics.

Net news

Diving deep into a major news story shaping the padel industry

Hexagon Cup set for global expansion after striking partnership with Premier Padel and FIP

The Hexagon Cup is poised for global expansion after agreeing a strategic partnership with Premier Padel and the International Padel Federation (FIP). The collaboration aims to accelerate padel’s worldwide growth by adding new events and the Hexagon Cup has already started the process of becoming a recognised FIP tournament. It comes after this year’s edition of the Hexagon Cup – won by Argentine former footballer Sergio Agüero’s Krü Padel by Taktika team – was watched by over 30,000 spectators across the five days and attracted 2 million viewers on YouTube.

The big hit

Exclusive interviews and in-depth analysis breaking down the business of padel

Julian Wortelboer interview: Ultra Club’s chief padel officer on growing through innovation

Ultra Club, the largest padel facility in the US, has seen rapid growth thanks to the use of innovative technology, top-tier coaching, and a focus on providing a premium experience. In this in-depth interview, chief padel officer Julian Wortelboer shares insights on Ultra's success, the importance of coaching, and how the club uses AI-powered systems to enhance gameplay. Discover how Ultra is shaping the future of padel in the US.