ANNOUNCEMENT: USPA Host Tournament in New Jersey!
The United States Padel Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of Padel in the USA, recognized by the International Padel Federation (FIP) and Padel America. The USPA recognizes FIP as the exclusive governing body of padel at the international level.
The USPA strives to be the leader in promoting and developing the growth of Padel at every level – from local communities to the professional game. The USPA is a not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer president and board of directors serving the needs of players and clubs in the USA. It works to raise the standards of Padel and encourage investments within the Padel industry nationwide while creating value for players and fans by hosting major international competitions and supporting the USA National Teams in all categories. The USPA invests 100% of its revenues towards developing and growing the game. The USPA sanctions over seventy tournaments throughout the USA, including the US Open Padel Championships.
The USPA’s mission is to lead padel’s growth and development in the United States. Specifically, the USPA strives to:-
– increase awareness of and access to padel in the USA
– support and promote our member clubs, players and coaches
– encourage fair play and sportsmanship
– develop and grow junior participation
– create and sanction a broad range of competitions for our members
– select and support National Teams to represent the USA at international competitions
– operate with integrity, transparency and responsiveness to our membership
As the governing body for Padel in the USA, our goal is to grow the sport and highlight the fantastic experiences it creates for players, clubs, and supporters.
Click here to learn more about volunteering with the USPA
Padel was first introduced to the United States in 1993 by Ed Thompson and Felipe Arnold in Houston, Texas, at the renowned Houstonian Hotel Club and Spa. They were proud to have the very first ever padel court constructed in the country.
Felipe, a native of Argentina, where Padel was very popular, was impressed with the growth of the sport in Argentina in just a few short years, which inspired him to bring it to the United States. One of the founders’ first goals was to form the very first men’s US padel team. The first men’s padel team was formed in 1993 by choosing six of the most elite tennis players in the Houston area.
The first men selected for the U.S. Team were Mike May, Scott Read, Matt Berry, Brian Poynter, Ross Persons, and Peter Farrel. Mike May, the team captain at the time, eventually became the first president of the United States Padel Association in 1998 while continually playing professional Padel as well. The USPA has to date had five presidents, these are Mike May, Pilar Graham, Sergio Ortiz, Marcos Del Pilar and Martin Sweeney. In March of 2022 the USPA produced the Senior World Championship’s, this was the first ever international padel championship in the USA and one of the most attended amateur Padel events in the world.
