Rafa Nadal Academy Brings Padel Tour to the U.S., Signaling a New Phase of Growth

Padel’s growth in the U.S. was initially driven by clubs and word of mouth. Now, international organizations are beginning to formally enter the market.

The Rafa Nadal Academy is expanding its amateur padel tour into the U.S. in partnership with Playtomic. It will bring one of Europe’s most recognizable sports brands into the American amateur padel world.

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The Details

Since opening in 2016 in Manacor, the Rafa Nadal Academy has been known for training world-class tennis players. The academy also made a strong commitment to padel with state-of-the-art facilities, helping it become a leader in growing the game and inspiring the launch of the padel tour with two successful editions already under its belt.

The calendar for the Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour USA by Playtomic will consist of four heats:

• March 13-15: The Padel X club in Miami
• April 24-26: Padel 39 in Austin
• May 8-10: Ultra Padel Miami
• August 14-16: Reserve New York in the heart of Manhattan

Alongside Playtomic’s strategic support, Babolat will also play a key role as a strategic partner of the tour.

Outside the U.S., the Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour will continue touring some of Spain’s main cities in 2026, such as Santander, Madrid, Cadiz, Valladolid, Estepona, Seville, Valencia, and Gijon, with the final event at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor. Meanwhile, the circuit in Italy will stop in Rome, Turin, Perugia, Bari, Bergamo, and Florence (TBC), with a final event in Mallorca.

Why It Matters

Europe is ready to capitalize on U.S. padel

As padel continues its U.S. rise in popularity, Europe sees the opportunity to begin importing its proven models of padel success into the country.

Nadal’s brand will spark U.S. curiosity

Rafael Nadal is a household name for many Americans. His step into the U.S. padel world brings much-needed awareness to the game with a recognizable name attached to the new sport.

Competitive infrastructure is growing

Early efforts to create impactful amateur opportunities have been more localized. This new tour starts a new approach to standardization with a proven format that has the potential to expand quickly and efficiently.

Playtomic steps in to lead the way

More than just a booking platform, Playtomic has the infrastructure to create real growth for padel in the U.S. This partnership is the next step in its evolution to impact the U.S. amateur game.

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The Final Note

The Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Tour’s expansion into the U.S. marks a sign of the next phase in U.S. padel. It’s one thing to build courts, but it takes strategy and organization with tours like this to get people to play.

Building the amateur community is the next chapter in U.S. padel and this tour is the beginning.

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