Meet the Architect quietly designing America’s Padel Boom: A Conversation with Racquet 360’s Emiliano Abramzon

The numbers coming out of the racquet sports world lately feel less like steady growth and more like a vertical takeoff. Globally, a new padel club opens every 2.5 hours (according to the Playtomic Global Padel Report). In the U.S., the sport is being hailed as the "next pickleball," with over 112,000 active players and 3,500 more joining the ranks every single month. But while many are simply watching the trend, Emiliano Abramzon and team have been quietly building the engine behind it.

As the Founder of Racquet360, Abramzon has moved beyond the "startup" phase of the sport to create the most complete padel ecosystem in North America. By unifying four distinct business units - shrewdly covering four areas that will be needed for padel to fulfill its American potential - with RacquetX (events), National Padel League (competition), Racket Social Club (infrastructure) and Racquet Central (digital), Abramzon has created a vertically integrated powerhouse.

With a recent $9 million funding raise, which included investors like Sunrise Capital, Profluence Capital and Taktika Equity, and a projected revenue increase of over 300% for 2026, Racquet360 isn't just riding the wave; they are directing the tide. We sat down with Abramzon to discuss the land grab for courts, the economics of the "social club" and why the future of American racquet sports is being written in 10x20 meter glass boxes.

Florida Tennis (FT): Padel is exploding in the Sunshine State and beyond. Why is this sport scaling at a rate that traditional tennis struggles to match?

Emiliano Abramzon (Emiliano): It comes down to "social stickiness." While tennis is a lifetime sport we all love - and of course a sport so many of us in padel actually come from - it has a steep learning curve. Padel is the perfect middle ground as it has the premium, athletic appeal of tennis, but the immediate accessibility of pickleball. There are already padel courts in 31 states. It’s scaling faster because the footprint is smaller, the play is always four-person social and, if executed correctly, the ROI for developers is incredibly efficient. Plus, don’t forget, people love something new –– and padel is just that. It’s a sport that’s currently a novelty to the U.S. but one that has a very bright future.

FT: You mentioned developers. Right now, there is a literal "land grab" happening for court space. What are the economics driving this?

Emiliano: We are in a real estate race. Because you can fit three padel courts in the space of one tennis court, the revenue per square foot is significantly higher. But it’s not just about squeezing in courts; it’s about the "Social Club" model. Padel has come along at the ideal time, following a global pandemic, when society yearned for social interaction once again. Through our club arm, Racket Social Club, we are proving this social model by acquiring massive assets like our recent acquisition of a 20-acre, 30-court facility in Atlanta and our upcoming flagship club opening in Houston. We aren't just building courts, we are building destinations.

FT: Racquet360 is unique because you attack the sport from every angle. Why was it necessary to build vertically?

Emiliano: To lead a new sport, you can't just be a landlord, instead you have to be the architect of the entire experience. You have to be intentional. And, in our view, for padel to grow as it should [in America], we need to build the different structures required for the sport to fulfill its potential. So, we built a four-pillared engine: RacquetX for major events (70% YoY growth; third edition taking place this week in Fort Lauderdale), the National Padel League (NPL) for competition, which saw more than 1,900 players participate last year, Racket Social Club for physical locations and Racquet Central for e-commerce. By controlling the ecosystem, we ensure that when a player picks up a racket, they stay within our world.

FT: With so many independent clubs popping up, do you see a wave of consolidation coming?

Emiliano: Absolutely. Only the properly managed facilities in good locations and with solid economics will survive. As you can see from recent examples - such as GP Bullhound investing in Playtomic, Left Lane Capital and the Pro Padel League, or Sunrise, Taktika and Profluence backing Racquet 360 - institutional capital is entering the space, and scale is the only way to survive. We just concluded a $9M funding raise because investors see that we have the infrastructure to consolidate. With Racket Central growing at 300% YoY, we have the data to know exactly where the next club should be built and who will play there. We aren't just guessing, we’re scaling with precision, and based on what the market is telling us.

FT: Looking ahead, what is your 10-year prediction for padel in the U.S., and what does "winning" look like for Racquet 360?

Emiliano: I am not sure how many people are going to be playing Padel a few years from now. However, considering that only 100,000 people in the U.S. are playing the sport now, and 30 million people play tennis, Padel has a lot of room to grow. For Racquet 360, success means being the "operating system" for that entire world. Whether it’s the technology you use to book a court, the league you compete in or the club you call home, our goal is to have fueled every step of that player’s journey. We’re building the infrastructure today for the massive number of players of tomorrow.