The United States Padel Association (USPA) has officially released its 2025 Annual Report, detailing a historic year of expansion, competition, and international success. From surging membership numbers to record-breaking tournament prize pools, the report paints a picture of a sport transitioning from a niche interest to a major competitive discipline nationwide.
Here are the key takeaways from the 2025 report.
Explosive Growth by the Numbers
The headline story of 2025 is the “second wave” of expansion in player participation. Following a consolidation period in 2024, the USPA saw unprecedented growth metrics this past year:
- Membership Surge: Individual membership jumped by 53.5% year-over-year, reaching a historic high of 2,915 members. This represents an incredible 18x increase since 2020, when membership stood at just 163.
- Club Network: The sport’s infrastructure backbone strengthened significantly, ending the year with 108 active member clubs (63 Premier, 36 Official, and 9 Registered).
- Tournament Expansion: The USPA sanctioned 104 Open Tournaments in 2025, more than doubling the 48 events hosted in 2024.
USA National Teams on the Global Stage
2025 was a watershed year for American national teams, proving that U.S. players are closing the gap with traditional powerhouses in Latin America and Europe.
- Senior Team Dominance: In perhaps the year’s most impressive showing, the U.S. National Senior Team finished 3rd overall at the Pan American Senior Championships in Paraguay. The team brought home 5 Gold Medals, with the women’s squad sweeping four categories and the men capturing Gold in the 40 C category.
- Absolute Teams: At the Padel America Absolute Championships in Chile, the U.S. Women’s team achieved a historic 5th place finish, their highest ever. The Men’s team also showed grit, notably defeating Chile 2-1 during group play.
- Junior Breakthroughs: The U.S. Girls’ Team secured a landmark victory over Ecuador at the FIP Junior World Cup qualifiers, marking the first time the U.S. has defeated the South American nation in FIP competition.
Domestic Competition: The US Open & NOX Circuit
The domestic calendar was headlined by the 2nd Annual US Open Padel Championships, held at Padel Haus Atlanta. The event featured a record 240 participants and a prize pool of over $35,000, more than double the previous year’s payout.
In a year of upsets, unseeded teams took top honors:
- Men’s Champions: Jose Carlos Gaspar Campos and Jaime Fermosell
- Women’s Champions: Raquel Borges Piltcher and Manuela Schuck Silva
The broader NOX USPA Circuit also crowned its year-end #1 ranked players:
- Men’s #1: Vinny Di Francesco (USA).
- Women’s #1: Anna Cortiles (ESP) and Luicelena Perez (VEN)
Investing in the Future: Junior Initiatives
The USPA aggressively targeted youth development in 2025. A major highlight was the launch of the Junior Elite Padel Program in partnership with Padel X, designed to centralize resources and create a clear pathway for top-tier talent to reach the National Team.
Additionally, the Junior Grant Program was renewed to provide funding and equipment to clubs, ensuring cost is not a barrier for new young players.
Outstanding Performances
USA junior Ornella Beltramino broke records as one of youngest ever competitors to represent her country at the FIP World Cup, competing at 12 years of age in September. This was followed up by a year end number 1, U14 FIP World Junior Ranking.
Looking Ahead to 2026
USPA President Bill Ullman and the Board of Directors have laid out an ambitious roadmap for the future. The association projects that the U.S. market is shifting from an “initial phase” to a robust “growth phase”.
Key initiatives for 2026 include:
- Digital Transformation: Developing a new USPA App to improve connectivity across tournaments, rankings, leagues, and events.
- Olympic Ambitions: Aligning closely with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee framework as the sport pushes for inclusion in the 2032 Brisbane Games.
- FIP Tournaments: USPA Member Clubs hosting International Padel Federation circuits, including Cupra FIP, Promises and Beyond tournaments.