An Interview with CEO of Racquet 360

At Primetime Padel, we have been tracking the explosive growth of the sport across North America, but few stories are as ambitious as the rise of Racquet 360. While many are content to build a single club, Emiliano Abramzon and his team are constructing an entire connected ecosystem designed to unite padel, pickleball, and tennis under one vision.

Fresh off a massive $9M funding round and the acquisition of a 30-court facility in Atlanta, Emiliano sat down with us to discuss how they are deploying capital, scaling the "club vibe," and why the amateur player remains the backbone of their 300% revenue growth projection.

Primetime: Emiliano, every great venture starts with a realization that something is missing. Before the $9M round and the 30-court acquisitions, what was the moment—on or off the court—where you realized the US racket sports ecosystem needed something like Racquet 360?

Emiliano: The spark came from watching two powerful trends unfold at the same time. In the U.S., pickleball was exploding at an unprecedented pace, while globally, padel was becoming the fastest-growing sport in the world, yet it was virtually nonexistent in the U.S. just a few years ago. That contrast made the opportunity impossible to ignore. We saw a future where all racquet sports, padel, pickleball and tennis, could grow together, not compete. The realization was that the U.S. didn’t just need more courts or clubs, it needed a connected ecosystem. That belief is what led us to create Racquet 360 and invest in the entire racquet sports landscape, not just one vertical.

Primetime: Most companies announce a raise and then go shopping. You’ve already put this $9M to work. Looking back at that choice, what was the one specific area of the ecosystem—whether it was the NPL or the Social Clubs—that you felt absolutely couldn't wait another minute for a capital injection?

Emiliano: This is a capital-intensive industry with relatively low barriers to entry, so success isn’t about having a unique idea, it’s about execution. Speed matters. For us, the priority wasn’t waiting to deploy capital but it was building the right foundation immediately: assembling strong teams, executing on strategy and hitting key operational milestones across the ecosystem. Once we had that in place, we were in a much stronger position to tell our story and demonstrate real traction. In this space, momentum is everything, and we didn’t want to lose a single step.

Primetime: You recently made a major move in Atlanta with a 20-acre, 30-court acquisition. Is the future of Racquet 360 about building these massive "racket cathedrals" from the ground up, or are you looking to find existing hubs and give them the 360-degree padel makeover?

Emiliano: We’re focused on A-plus locations in markets where the demographics, density and lifestyle support strong racquet sports communities. Whether that means building from the ground up, or acquiring and transforming an existing facility, the goal is always the same: create a vibrant, high-energy community where people come to play, connect and live a healthier lifestyle. It’s less about the format of the real estate and more about the quality of the experience we’re building within it.

Primetime: You’ve mentioned that the amateur player is the "backbone" of this growth. For the person who just picked up a racket at an NPL event last month, how is this $9M going to change their experience on the court six months from now?

Emiliano: The growth of racquet sports, especially padel, will be driven from the ground up. The amateur player is everything. For someone who just picked up a racquet at an event, the biggest change they’ll see is accessibility and structure. Through the National Padel League and our clubs, we’re creating clear entry points for every level, including beginner clinics to competitive play. Six months from now, that player won’t just be trying the sport, they’ll be part of a community. They’ll have opportunities to learn, compete and socialize regularly. That’s how you build lasting engagement, and ultimately, that’s how the sport scales.

Primetime: You’ve stated that US padel is at an inflection point. Everyone sees the growth, but what’s the "noise" people are ignoring? What is the one challenge in the US market that keeps you up at night?

Emiliano: We believe padel in the U.S. has reached product-market fit. The proof is there as clubs are filling up, leagues are growing and players who try the sport are sticking with it. The opportunity now is scale. But the challenge, and the part that often gets overlooked, is infrastructure. Court availability is still limited, and there’s a shortage of qualified coaches to support new players. Building clubs takes time and significant capital, and that slows down growth across the entire industry. That’s the bottleneck. Demand is there but we just need to accelerate the supply side to match it.

Primetime: Racket Social Club has a very specific "lifestyle" feel. As you scale to dozens of locations across different states, how do you prevent that local, community "club" feeling from getting lost in a corporate rollout?

Emiliano: At the core of every Racket Social Club is the same DNA: community, social connection and a shared love of the game. That doesn’t change. What does change is how that comes to life in each market. Every city has its own culture, energy and preferences, so we adapt our programming and activations accordingly. We have a consistent framework for engagement, but we localize the execution. That’s how you scale without losing authenticity. You stay true to your values while giving each community a sense of ownership.

Primetime: RacquetX has become the "town square" for the industry. Now that you have more fuel in the tank, how do you see that festival evolving? Are we looking at more consumer-facing events, or is the focus on remaining the ultimate B2B hub for the sport?

Emiliano: RacquetX has quickly become a central meeting point for the industry, and we see significant opportunity to expand its role, especially on the B2B side. We’re focused on creating more value for club operators, brands and professionals through education, networking and industry insights. There’s still a lot of untapped potential there. At the same time, we’ll continue to layer in consumer-facing elements through strategic partnerships and activations. And longer term, geographic expansion is a major opportunity. What you’ve seen so far is just the beginning.

Primetime: The 300% Vision: With a projected revenue increase of over 300% this year, the stakes are high. If we’re sitting here a year from today, can you give us a vision for what Racquet 360 looks like?

Emiliano: A year from now, success means scale. We’ve spent the time building the foundation and developing our four core businesses and getting them to a point where they’re ready to grow. Now it’s about execution at scale. Our focus is simple: continue expanding and strengthening each part of the ecosystem. We’re still in the early innings, but the platform is in place. Over the next year, you’ll see us accelerate growth across the board and further establish Racquet 360 as the driving force behind racquet sports in the U.S