🎾 PBM Weekly Newsletter - Issue 4

Hi everyone,

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

With punchy news, expert viewpoints, and in-depth industry analysis, the PBM team aim to equip you with authoritative, cutting-edge insights and innovative strategies to inform your commercial success.

Each week, we’ll be giving you an in-depth feature or big industry interview, a lead news story, plus a snapshot of breaking developments across the industry globally.

Coming up this week:

• Sara Essa, founder of Dubai’s Padel Collective, outlines new plans for the community-focused club and shares her thoughts on how the UAE padel market is changing.

• The Hexagon Cup announces a new team led by Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly and FC Lorient president Loïc Féry – the latest to invest in padel from other sports.

• Our round-up of other major headlines in the global padel business, including a new ten-court club in London and a surge in padel bookings in Chile’s Los Lagos region.

Enjoy the latest issue!

Cheers!

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

• 🇬🇧 New ten-court padel club opens in North London

  UK padel company Social Sports Society has opened a new ten-court facility at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre complex in Hendon, North London. It follows the opening in May of its first site next to Wembley Stadium, which has three courts. The company has further plans to expand in 2025.

• 🇩🇪 Dutch group Peakz Padel expands into Germany

  Peakz Padel, the largest padel organisation in the Netherlands, has begun an expansion into Germany with the opening of a new seven-court site in the town of Kleve in the Lower Rhine region, close to the Dutch border. The company plans to open a further 35 clubs in Germany over the next few years.

• 🇵🇹 Sofia Araújo strikes sponsorship deal with Beefeater 0.0

  Portuguese professional padel player Sofia Araújo has agreed a sponsorship deal with the alcohol-free gin label Beefeater 0.0. In May, the drink was promoted at the Open Beefeater 0.0, a padel competition organised by the Oeiras Padel Academy in Porto Salvo, Portugal. Araújo is currently ranked ninth in the world.

• 🌏️ Premier Padel joins forces with Japanese tech firm NTT Data

  Premier Padel has announced a new global agreement with the Japanese IT services firm NTT Data to become an official partner of the series. NTT Data’s analytics and real-time data collection will be used in Premier Padel tournaments. The aim is to enhance player performance and also make the tour’s broadcasts more interactive and immersive.

• 🇨🇱 Padel surpasses football in Los Lagos on easycancha booking app

  The South American sports booking app easycancha has reported that padel has usurped football to become the number one activity booked via its app in the Los Lagos region of southern Chile. There were 54,521 padel bookings in the region between 1 January and 31 August this year, up 12.1% on the same period in 2023.

Net news

Diving deep into a major news story shaping the padel industry

Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly and FC Lorient president Loïc Féry to lead new Hexagon Cup team

The Hexagon Cup continues to capture the attention of global sports stars, with Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly and FC Lorient president Loïc Féry now owning the latest team, 10Padel, in the high-profile padel tournament. This powerhouse duo joins renowned figures like Robert Lewandowski, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal in backing the growing sport. Gasly and Féry, both avid padel players, have launched their new venture following a game after the Miami Grand Prix in May, where they connected over their shared passion for padel. Set to debut at the Madrid Arena from 29 January to 2 February, 2025, 10Padel completes the lineup of eight elite teams in the Hexagon Cup’s second edition. With DAZN holding streaming rights for the tournament, fans worldwide can enjoy free access to the action. Discover how padel’s community and commercial appeal continue to draw big names from across the sports spectrum.

The big hit

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

Sara Essa interview: Founder of Dubai padel community plans to open new site amid growth of sport in UAE

Sara Essa, founder of Padel Collective in Dubai, is transforming the padel landscape in the UAE with her community-focused vision. In an exclusive interview, she shares how Padel Collective has grown to 2,000 members in two years by prioritising inclusivity over competition. Essa, a padel player, coach and commentator, launched the group in 2022 to provide a social, player-focused experience in a market often driven by money.

With expansion plans underway, Essa reveals talks for a dedicated Padel Collective facility to address a gap in player-friendly locations across Dubai. The UAE’s padel market, now ranked 14th globally for growth, is evolving, with investors beginning to shift toward sustainable business models rather than quick profits. Essa’s consulting firm, Nineone, aims to support these long-term approaches for clubs expanding in the UAE, as well as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Her mission? Foster genuine growth while advocating for more female leaders in the sport.