Padel news: Racquet 360 secures $9million funding round to accelerate US padel expansion
The United States’ premier integrated platform for the modern racket sports industry has announced the successful completion and deployment of a $9million funding round.
Finalised in Q4 2025, the funding round attracted a strategic mix of sports focused private equity funds, angel investors and family offices, including Sunrise Padel Capital (Miami, FL), Profluence Capital (St. Petersburg, FL) and Taktika Equity (San Diego, CA).
Unlike traditional funding announcements, Racquet 360’s raise was strategically timed to accelerate momentum for milestones already in motion.
R3 Bullpadel Cup Returns to Stratford as Elite Roster Strengthens for 2026
The R3 Bullpadel Cup returns to Stratford Padel Club this weekend as the opening event of the 2026 R3 Bullpadel Cup Leaderboard, bringing together one of the strongest LTA Grade 1 fields of the season.
ATHLFT launches online platform to tackle rising injury crisis in padel with elite-level fitness coaching
New performance training platform equips padel players with professional-level strength, conditioning and mobility programmes to enhance performance and prevent injuries as the sport booms across the UK.
Tournated Joins Forces with World Padel Rating to Launch White-Label Digital Platform for the United States Padel Association
First U.S. governing body partnership marks Tournated’s largest padel federation project to date and creates “first true home for America’s padel-playing community”
VVV Sports launches first publicly listed platform focused on emerging sports
Padel and pickleball are among the fastest-growing sports globally, attracting millions of new participants and accelerating commercial interest.
Yet despite that growth, much of the industry remains fragmented, with athletes, events, venues, media and commercial partners developing in parallel rather than as part of a coordinated ecosystem.
Led by entrepreneur Jonathan Rowland, the founder of UK challenger bank Redwood Bank, VVV Sports today debuts as a publicly listed sports, media and entertainment platform designed to address that gap.
Padel news: Coki Nieto, world top seven padel player, joins Decathlon as new ambassador
DECATHLON, a global leading multi-specialist sports brand, is pleased to welcome Jorge (Coki) Nieto - the Spanish player better known on the circuit by his nickname - currently ranked number seven in the world, as a new KUIKMA ambassador for the next three years.
This strategic partnership marks a turning point in the brand’s ambition to compete at the elite level of professional padel while staying true to its ambition: making high performance accessible to everyone.
Padel opinion: How padel took over the sporting world in 2025
Women’s Euros. The Ryder Cup. The Club World Cup. 2025 was a huge year for sport, but the one that stole the most headlines was padel.
More courts were built than ever before, the push for female padel players accelerated and professional competitions enjoyed well-deserved commercial success.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s writer Vanely Barumire looks at the biggest winners from the 2025 Padel season.
Chief padel addict Andi Neugarten-Maio talks 6LoveSports and female padel, says, ‘It’s a way of connecting’
Gender disparity has always been an issue in professional sports. Tennis, football, and athletics have all faced issues with gender equality.
Padel, on the other hand, is embracing and calling for women’s involvement in the sport. Investment in female padel is growing from grassroots to professional.
Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire sat down with one of the biggest names helping bring female padel to the forefront - Andi Neugarten-Maio.
“Visibility and recognition” – the growing investment in women’s padel
The WTA Finals are underway, marking the end of the 2024/25 tennis season.
This year’s circuit has produced plenty of thrilling matches and stories, from young prodigy Victoria Mboko’s meteoric rise, to Coco Gauff’s domination on hard courts, and Aryna Sabalenka’s consistent, impressive form - writes Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire.
The Riyadh Open also marks the second year of a three-year deal with the Saudi Tennis Federation to host the WTA Finals in the Middle East.
Heineken become the global drinks partner for Premier Padel from 2026
The rise of professional padel has been unmatched. In 2023, professional padel was worth €2 billion, and that number is estimated to rise by the end of 2025.
The sport’s top players are becoming icons in their own right, and major brands are noticing.
The Spanish padel equipment NOX received a recent €1.9 million investment from Oaskley Capital.
Millions are being poured into the fastest growing sport, and Heineken is the latest to toss their hat into the glassed ring.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire explores the deal.
What Spain’s dominance in Padel says about football’s debate between culture and investment
It has often been said, mainly by American sports commentators, that if the United States invested as much time and money in football (soccer) as it does in the NFL, the country could compete more effectively. And by compete they mean for the World Cup title.
It is a debate that has been had for years, and while many have dismissed the claim, could they actually compete? More investment means more success, right?
Looking at Spain's dominance in Padel, Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire will try to get to the bottom of the age-old question: Is success in football based on culture or financial backing?
Anglo-American Padel Cup: Sports News Blitz speak to co-founder of the first-ever UK vs US Padel Competition
At the inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup, Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire sat down with one of its co-founders, Bill Ulman, to discuss how the tournament came to be and the future of British and American padel.
First-ever Padel Irish Open announces title sponsorship
The Padel Irish Open has announced Hiscox as its title sponsor of the 2025 tournament, which is set to take place at Padel LK in Limerick between 12 and 16 November.
Hiscox has thus become the first-ever title sponsor of a professional padel event in the country. Sports News Blitz’s Shameeka Voyiya explores...
Padel news: Britain and America poised for big arrival on world stage ahead of inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup
The UK’s most significant padel moment yet finally arrives, as London prepares to host two of the world’s most storied sporting nations for transatlantic padel triumph.
64 of Britain and America’s elite players are set to compete across Open and Age Group categories as Anglo American Padel Cup follows in the footsteps of the historic British and American sports rivalry.
Padel news: Pakistan set to host its first international padel tournament in October
Pakistan is set to make history later this month as it welcomes its first-ever international padel tournament.
Here, Sports News Blitz's Shameeka Voyiya looks at how the Asia Pacific Padel Tour (APPT) Grand Slam is bringing global competition to Karachi’s Legends Arena.
Padel news - Jurgen Klopp set to bring padel to Liverpool
Padel was an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s management at Liverpool. The German manager introduced the sport to the AXA Training Centre before its rise in popularity.
“Besides football, [padel is] the best game I ever played”, said the former Liverpool head coach.
Padel news: Man United looks to build new padel courts - Can the sport overthrow tennis as the king of racket sports?
Padel’s growth does not seem to be slowing down - and it is starting to seep into the game of football.
As part of a £50million facelift of Carrington Training Centre, Manchester United are aiming to build new padel courts on the site.
Sports News Blitz’s Vanely Barumire assesses the news surrounding padel’s integration with football.
Padel news: Padel vs tennis - similarities and differences
Padel is constantly compared to tennis, considering both sports use a racket and have similar-looking courts.
The comparison is understandable, but that is where the similarities end.
How the sports are played and tournaments are organised creates a clear distinction between the two.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Vanely Barumire discusses how two of the most popular racket sports differ from one another.
Premier Padel establishes two committees to strengthen governance and global expansion
Premier Padel, the official global professional padel tour, announced on Wednesday the establishment of two new advisory and consultative committees for the men’s and women’s tours.
The move is set to platform the voice of stakeholders, enhance governance, strengthen collaboration, and progress the next phase of global growth in the sport, reports Sports News Blitz’s Shameeka Voyiya.
Padel explainer: How to play the sport and rules of the court
What happens when you combine a green neon ball, a racket and an enclosed court with metal mesh walls? You get the fastest growing sport on the planet - padel.
Viewed as the more accessible cousin to tennis, padel has soared in popularity in recent years.
In the UK alone, LTA Padel reported that over 400,000 adults and juniors played the sport at least once last year.
But for all the other millions who haven’t caught on to the trend, Sports News Blitz writer Vanely Barumire goes through all the rules you need to know…