AO Ventures Invests in Padel Haus

While most of the world’s eyes are on the first tennis grand slam of the year, AO Ventures shifted focus this week with a somewhat surprising investment in padel.

Traditionally, major tennis organizations have distanced themselves from “competing” racket sports at least from a financial perspective. That is until this week when the investment arm of the Australian Open and Tennis Australia invested in Padel Haus, the leading premium padel platform in the United States.

Padel Haus has quickly become one of the leading padel clubs in the United States with premium facilities, community-driven programming, and one of the country’s leading padel academies. It currently operates six clubs across the United States with hopes to expand further.

AO Ventures General Partner Dr Machar Reid said they are bullish on the growth of padel globally and actively investing in the sport’s growth through a range of partnerships, domestically and abroad.

“As a business, we have observed the explosion of the sport internationally and there are now strong foundations for growth in Australia, with courts, clubs and competitions continuing to be established,” he explained.

“We have closely followed Padel Haus for the past few years and been impressed with Santiago’s ability to repeatably execute on building premium venues and experiences for Padel players with attractive returns."

While an investment like this will help Padel Haus from a financial side, it’s fair to assume that AO Ventures will also use its relationships and leadership in the industry to help open doors for the company.

“This opportunity represents more than an investment. In partnering with one of the most respected sports institutions in the world, and the decision of AO Ventures to invest in Padel Haus is powerful validation of our long-term approach to building padel the right way,” according to Padel Haus Founder and CEO, Santiago Gomez.

“Padel is still early in its global journey. Working with AO ventures and alongside Tennis Australia, which brings more than 120 years of experience building global sports platforms, creates a credible pathway for continued expansion,” he said.

Back in the summer of 2025, Padel Haus raised $7 million in a Series B round to triple its national footprint and cement its position as the sport’s premium U.S. brand. It’s aiming to reach 120 courts and more than 20 wholly owned locations by 2027.