Pro padel is coming to D.C.
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Spanish player Mario Del Castillo of the Matrix, D.C.'s first pro padel team. Photo: Courtesy PPL
A pro padel team is coming to D.C. — proof that the sport's local growth is leveling up.
Why it matters: The District is becoming a hotspot for the world's fastest-growing racquet sport — with new courts, growing amateur leagues and now its first pro team.
Driving the news: Pro Padel League (PPL) franchise the Matrix is relocating from Arkansas to D.C. ahead of the 2026 season.
- Launched in 2023, the mixed gender team is owned by a women-led group — still a rarity in pro sports.
The big picture: As padel booms in the U.S., money and star power are following.
- Several PPL teams are valued at $10M+, with investors like tennis star Frances Tiafoe (New York Atlantics) and polo player Nacho Figueras (Florida Goats).
Zoom in: D.C.'s international makeup helped seal the deal. "It's a global sport, and this is a global capital," franchise founder Barbara Hudson tells Axios.
- She says local awareness is already "strong," with growing support from area clubs.
What's next: The team will compete in five North American events this season, starting in July.
- D.C. won't host matches until next year, but expect exhibitions, clinics and fan activations soon.
Between the lines: Building padel isn't plug-and-play like pickleball.
- Hudson says PPL courts — made of glass panels with turf-and-sand surfaces — take days to install and require the right spectator setup.
Zoom out: D.C.'s pro moment comes as the broader padel ecosystem takes off. The National Padel League is bringing back its amateur USA Team League this year, with D.C. as a host city.
- Teams compete in a city-to-nationals pipeline, feeding regional and national championships.
- The league is expanding to 40+ cities and adding new women's divisions.
Meanwhile, new clubs are opening for all (and no) skill levels, joining venues in College Park, Sterling and beyond.
- Epic Padel, coming to Tyson's Corner
- Padel Social (outdoors) reopens this summer
The intrigue: Padel is catching on because it's easy to pick up, and fans say, hard to quit.
- Played in doubles, it's social and beginner-friendly — with rallies often lasting longer than tennis or pickleball thanks to the enclosed court.
The bottom line: With a pro franchise planting a flag and grassroots play expanding fast, D.C. is moving from padel curiosity to contender.