From Miami to New York: Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour by Playtomic completes successful US debut

The Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour by Playtomic has just closed out its debut season in the United States, and if the numbers and energy from the final stop in New York are anything to go by, this is a circuit that's found a real home stateside.

Four heats, three cities, one clear message: American padel players are hungry for this.

A Coast-to-Coast Debut

The US leg kicked off back in March in Miami at Padel X, before heading to Austin's Padel 39 in April. May brought the tour back to Miami, this time at Ultra Padel Miami, ahead of a grand finale in New York, one of the fastest-growing padel markets in the country.

That finale took place last weekend at Reserve Hudson Yards, one of the city's most exclusive clubs, where players across three categories spent two days competing, socializing, and soaking up everything from live music to guest experiences alongside the padel itself.

Across all four stops, the tour stayed true to the format that's made it a success since launching three years ago: amateur competition at multiple skill levels, welcome packs, prizes, side activities, and exhibitions featuring professional players.

Why the US Debut Matters

For the Rafa Nadal Academy, this wasn't just a one-off, it was a test case. The four events gave the Academy a firsthand look at just how much appetite there is for amateur padel in the US, and a clearer sense of how the tour's model could translate into other markets it's yet to enter.

Maribel Nadal, Deputy General Manager of the Rafa Nadal Academy, reflected on what made the first US season stand out. She pointed to the strength of the community the tour found across its stops, players eager to compete and genuinely experience the sport, and noted that keeping the same spirit that built the circuit in Spain, competitive play paired with a broader experience, was a priority from day one alongside partners at Playtomic. She added that the reception so far points to real room to keep growing the project globally.

The US expansion was supported by Playtomic, the tour's main partner and the world's leading platform for racket-sport players and clubs, alongside strategic partner Babolat, who supplied equipment and prizes throughout the season.

A Circuit Going Global

The US was just the latest stop on what's become a genuinely international journey. The Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour started in Spain, where it's now in its third year and remains the heart of the project, running heats across multiple cities before a season finale in Manacor.

From there, the circuit has steadily expanded: Italy is hosting its second edition this year, Poland has joined the international calendar, and two more highly anticipated markets, Germany and the UK, will get their first events this September.

Padel Is Central to the Academy's Future

The Tour's growth reflects something bigger happening at the Rafa Nadal Academy itself, where padel has become an increasingly core part of the sporting project in recent years.

The Academy now runs 19 indoor and outdoor courts in Manacor, and has continued to build out its training infrastructure, programming, and international footprint — including participation in the Hexagon Cup, with professional players Gemma Triay and Franco Stupaczuk serving as ambassadors.

What's next? The launch of the Annual Padel Program — a new initiative focused on comprehensive coaching for young players, built around the same sporting, educational, and developmental philosophy that underpins the wider Academy. Players in the program will also be able to combine their athletic development with academics at the Rafa Nadal School, the American international school based on the same campus.

Together, the Annual Padel Program and the Tour's continued expansion show an Academy playing the long game — building a pathway from grassroots amateur competition all the way through to elite-level development.

The takeaway: the Rafa Nadal Academy Pádel Tour's first US season wasn't just successful — it was proof of concept. With six countries now on the circuit's map and two more markets launching this September, this is a project with real momentum behind it.