Ben Nichols, founder of the firm Padel 22, plays Padel. (Photo courtesy of Padel 22)
Why all the racket about Padel? Students and faculty in the collaborated with a global communications consulting firm to release a report about the emerging sport’s rapid rise in popularity.
The report, “Celebrities, Community, Content, and Competition: Padel’s Meteoric Rise in U.S. Popularity,” identifies key reasons behind the explosive growth of Padel, a racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash.
Factors include more ways to stream Padel tournaments, an increase in community-focused clubs and the influence of celebrity enthusiasts like actress Eva Longoria and Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter.
“Padel in the U.S. won’t be just a sport—it will be a cultural phenomenon,” says Ben Nichols, founder of the firm, . “We’re seeing the same kind of momentum that once launched pickleball, but this time with a broader lifestyle appeal.”
Baneet Bains G’25 led the Newhouse students that produced the report through the Padel 22 partnership. They were supervised by , professor of practice of public relations and associate dean for strategic initiatives in the Newhouse School.
“As a former PR student myself, a big part of my mission is to support students in finding their way into the sport industry at a time when Padel is growing rapidly across the country,” says Nichols.
“To have been able to partner with one of the very best public relations programs in the United States has been an honor,” he says. “I’m thrilled Newhouse has been able to blaze the trail in the college sector by producing this industry-first report.”
Read the report about Padel in the U.S., produced by Newhouse students in partnership with Padel 22.
Padel is typically played in pairs, as doubles, on an enclosed court that is about one-third the size of a tennis court. In Padel, balls can be played off the walls.
There is some social media-fueled debate about how to pronounce the word. Nichols said the correct pronunciation is “PA-dell” (like “paddle”), though some players in the United States call it “pah-DEL.”
Either way, it’s considered the world’s fastest-growing sport, the report said. In the United States, Padel has gained traction through celebrity endorsements, increased exposure through digital content and investment in elite clubs and tournaments.
According to the Padel report released Wednesday, U.S. court construction skyrocketed from fewer than 30 in 2020 to more than 600 in 2024, with projections of 30,000 by 2030.
“Media growth and engagement serves as one of the key drivers of the success of emerging sports across the U.S.,” says , director of the . “The report shows that a combination of celebrity influence, community activation and content creation are all key drivers in Padel’s emergence.”
For the Newhouse team, the collaboration offered students a valuable opportunity to work on a high-profile project about an emerging sports trend, the first research of its kind about Padel in the United States.
“Providing students with hands-on learning opportunities in global sport communications is central to the Newhouse approach of integrating classroom knowledge with real-world impact,” Horn says. “This academic-industry intersection defines the value of a Newhouse educational experience, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, thanks to our industry partners and their desire to help our students succeed.”
Bains, who graduated in May, led a team that ranged from first-year to graduate students.
“This project was the ultimate hands-on experience of what we’ve been learning in the classroom,” she says, “working together in a setting that mimicked a professional environment.”
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