There are moments in an industry when you realise you’re watching history unfold rather than simply going to work.
I genuinely believe we’re living through one of those moments in racket sports.
When I started my career more than three decades ago, tennis was the undisputed centre of our world. Every discussion revolved around tennis. Every facility was built around it. Every investment, every career path and almost every business opportunity started and ended with the same sport.
If someone had told me back then that two entirely new racket sports would emerge almost simultaneously, attract millions of new players, reshape club development and make established operators rethink their business models, I would have smiled politely and dismissed the idea.
Yet here we are.
Padel has exploded across Europe, while pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in the United States for four consecutive years. According to the SFIA – Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), participation reached 19.8 million Americans in 2024, a staggering 311% increase over just three years. At the same time, the International Padel Federation estimates there are now over 30 million players across more than 140 countries, with well over 70,000 courts worldwide.
Those numbers aren’t simply impressive. They represent a structural shift in our industry.
What excites me most isn’t that tennis is suddenly under threat – I don’t believe it is – but for the first time in my career, racket sports has become an ecosystem rather than a single sport. Clubs are becoming multi-sport destinations. Investors are seeing opportunities that didn’t exist a decade ago. Hotels, real estate developers and municipalities are thinking differently about how racket facilities should look. We’re attracting people who may never have picked up a tennis racquet, and that’s healthy for everyone.
I’ve spent my entire professional life believing racket sports could play a bigger role in society than most people imagined. Seeing that vision become reality through multiple sports rather than just one is honestly something I never expected to witness.
Of course, there will be winners and losers. Every major industry shift creates both. But I suspect the organisations that thrive won’t be the ones arguing about whether tennis, padel or pickleball is “better.”
They’ll be the ones who recognise that people aren’t choosing between sports nearly as much as they’re choosing experiences, communities and lifestyles.
It’s an exciting time to be in this industry. Let the good times roll.
(Originally published on LinkedIn)