Bill Ullman, President, US Padel Association

At the kind invitation of summit organizer Alex Ponseti, I had the opportunity to represent the US Padel Association and speak on a panel at the Padel World Summit (PWS) held in Barcelona at the end of May.  To be surrounded by 7,000+ people who are all interested in padel is at once overwhelming and inspirational. In my role at the US Padel Association, I have a unique opportunity to witness the growth and enthusiasm for padel in the USA.  To feel that growth on a global scale, as I did at the Padel World Summit, gives me increased confidence in the sport’s trajectory in the US.  

Now that I have returned from Spain, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the lessons and insights I gained at the summit.

Padel’s Growth is Global

According to the Playtomic Global Padel Report 2026, released and discussed at the conference, over 8,000 new courts and 5,000 new clubs were built worldwide last year.  Ireland and Indonesia, for example, were among the fastest-growing countries in the world in terms of new court installations. Padel is clearly spreading around our planet to places we would not necessarily think of as traditional growth markets for the sport.  

Padel Remains “Latino” but is Diversifying

The title of my panel at the PWS was “How Latino is Padel, Really?”  In the United States, I believe padel remains quite Latino.  Many of our best players, coaches, and club owners are of Latino origin.  But this is not surprising given that padel was founded in Acapulco, Mexico, and that the Latino population in the US has increased dramatically over the last 50 years, according to US Census data.  The USA has approximately 60 million citizens of Latino descent, some 20 percent of the total population.  Given these numbers, the Latino influence on padel will always be an important part of the sport in the US (and likely around the world; after all, most of the shots have Spanish names: bandeja, globo, rulo, bajada, chiquita, por tres, etc.).  However, given the sport’s growth in Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and much of Europe, over time the influences of other countries and cultures will be felt. India and China are just beginning their journeys into padel.  

Padel’s Embrace of Technology is Unique and Will Aid in Growth

One of my first observations about padel, when I started playing 5 years ago, was that “this sport is run on apps.”  This made padel, for me, immediately very different from squash and tennis, the two racquet sports I played before I discovered padel.  Today, it’s not just reservation and rating and ranking systems (World Padel Rating, Playtomic, Playbypoint, etc.) and communications with fellow players (the padel world loves WhatsApp) – it’s digital video replay, biometric data tracking during matches, digital analysis of strategy, errors, shot selection and stroke efficiency, all aided by inexpensive and networked cameras; it’s super advanced ball machines and the ability to install floating courts.  As more and more data is collected from all this technology, the algorithms, software, and AI supporting it will simply get better and more accurate.  Our sport seems unafraid of this technology; indeed, we seem to welcome it as it brings in new, often younger players and enables us to improve our padel experiences.

Padel’s Strength is that it’s for Everyone.

One of the best aspects of padel is that it is very easy to pick up a racquet, play, and enjoy the sport almost immediately.  This makes padel a wonderful physical activity for anyone, regardless of level or athletic ability.  Having said that, it takes a long time to learn the intricacies of the sport, the strategies, the angles, and the proper technique for hitting all sorts of shots.  This makes us all want to come back, play again, practice, and continue to learn.  It is a sport that takes a lifetime to master.  Though it is frequently marketed as a sport for wealthy people, padel is not played exclusively in private country clubs with restrictive memberships. I am confident that in a decade, we will see padel played regularly at universities, in public parks, and at YMCAs.  At the summit, I was also encouraged and inspired by watching people playing padel in wheelchairs; those with physical challenges should not be excluded from this joyous game.  I want to figure out how the US Padel Association can do more to make padel accessible to anyone and everyone who wants to play.    

University-level Padel is Just Starting and Will Propel Growth

The US just held its first intercollegiate championship in Texas; university padel clubs in the US are forming organically, and leagues are being established.  At the conference, I had the opportunity to discuss university-level padel with Ines Alvarez from Argentina, a leading college padel coach (and leader in the sport).  This summer, the first FIP-sanctioned FISU World Padel University Championships will be held in Malaga, Spain.  Padel played by university students around the world will create a new tier of younger players, fueling the sport’s future growth.  The US Padel Association is watching this space closely and is highly supportive.  

Thanks again to Alex Ponseti and the entire Padel World Summit Team, for the invitation and the incredible effort and organization to bring so many people from around the world to discuss, analyze, and promote padel.  With the support of our growing membership, the US Padel Association will continue to do our part to foster the continued growth and access to padel in the USA.