💸 Another One Bites the Glass! The ‘Bluestone to Backhands’ Trend Just Got a Fortune Co-Sign.

Hold onto your Hermès tote—Fortune just profiled the latest serial founder betting that wrapping padel in a 'suburban luxury' aesthetic (think high-end design and killer amenities) is the only way to scale the sport in the US. This strategy is all about prioritizing the club experience over just the court, essentially giving padel the exclusive, social-driven golf/country club treatment.

🎯Primetime Take: We've been calling this 'Padel-as-Country-Club' model for ages, and this article confirms it's officially The Strategy™ for US expansion. Anyone thinking about building a court needs to pay attention: The game-changer isn't the court; it's the $20 million lifestyle package around it. This founder just proved that the path to padel mass adoption in America is paved with private lounges, curated food, and next-level social programming. The clubs who skip this step? Time will tell if there’s a niche in the market for that vibe.

Philly’s Padel Paradise Gets the "Man-on-the-Street" Treatment on FOX 29!

FOX 29 Philadelphia dropped a 22-minute "Good Day Uncut" feature from VIVA Padel & Pickleball, taking viewers court-side in a fun, unscripted look at the booming scene. It’s a hilarious, vox pop style deep dive that shows padel is officially more than just an IYKYK European sport—it’s a vibe on the East Coast. (FYI: we covered the opening of this club back in our Sept. 5 issue).

🎯Primetime Take: We’ve been preaching that local media love is the next big wave for padel, and this 22-minute segment proves it! When a major network commits this much airtime to an "uncut" piece, it signals a shift: padel isn't just a niche story anymore, it's a genuine cultural curiosity that draws viewers. It's time for more clubs to DM their local news because exposure like this is a massive win for the entire sport. 💯

From Gridiron to Glass: Sporting News Declares Padel the Next Global Obsession

The Sporting News, a publication famous for covering the biggest leagues on the planet, just ran a piece on padel's explosive global growth, highlighting the massive influx of celebrity athletes and high-profile investors pouring money into the sport. In addition to pointing out that the sport is being supported by big names like Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Tom Holland, the article confirms what we already knew: Padel is quickly moving out of the "niche" category and officially into the mainstream sports spotlight.

🎯Primetime Take: We just crunched the numbers: The Sporting News pulls in an estimated 600,000 visitors every single day. That's half a stadium's worth of eyeballs scrolling past a padel article! Having a legacy publication that traditionally focuses on the NFL, NBA, and MLB shine a light on padel is not just good PR—it's mass market validation. This kind of coverage is key to converting general sports fans into future padel players and proving to even more investors that this growth is for real. 📈

🎾 Your Next Vacation Is a Slam Dunk: Padel Courts Are the New Turndown Service at Luxury Hotels 🥂 

Padel is officially checking in! The sport is now the reigning must-have amenity at luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, actively dethroning stuffy old tennis courts and creating the ultimate social hub for the well-traveled jet set.

🎯The Primetime Take: This isn't just a trend; it's a huge W for our sport's legitimacy and infrastructure. When the globe-trotting 1% start dropping serious cash on beautiful, permanent courts in major destinations, you know the movement is officially self-funding—and we are here for the luxe court aesthetic. IYKYK.

Cinderella Battles the Glass: Lily James’s Padel Lesson Is Our New Reality

A-list actress Lily James (best known for her role in the live-action Cinderella) recently took a padel lesson, struggling hard with the back glass wall which is relatable to all of us, but her coach dropped the ultimate advice: let the ball come to you and remember to keep that racket low at the back of the court.

🎯Primetime Take: Every time a celebrity like James touches a padel racket, the sport gets cooler, boosting our global cool factor and driving demand for new courts—we love the celeb padel content!