New Pro Padel League Season Kicks Off in Style in New York City
It may be hard to top this...
While I didn’t have the privilege of attending the inaugural event of the 2026 Pro Padel League (PPL) season in New York City this past weekend myself (as I’m currently in Spain for the Premier Padel P1 in Málaga), it’s obvious from all the coverage I’ve seen that it was a real showstopper.
(And according to at least one spectator, more fun to watch than tennis — controversial as that may be!).
For starters, the event was held in Manhattan Center of the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, an iconic 120-year-old event venue with soaring, 75-foot frescoed ceilings on the west side of Midtown that was originally the home of the Manhattan Opera House. (Be sure to check out this virtual tour of the space if you want to see what all the fuss is about).
Then there were the players themselves, with over 50 of the world’s top men and women spread across the 10 teams that currently make up the PPL, including international superstars like Leonel “Tolito” Aguirre and longtime U.S. standout Brittany Dubins.
And finally, there was the fact that this was the first pro padel event to be broadcast live by a major U.S. television network, namely CNBC — which is perhaps not surprising given the network’s focus on investing news and the fact that the PPL has raised $25 million in funding over just the past 18 months, including a $15 million Series A round led by Charlotte Hornets Co-Chairman & Governor Rick Schnall (of the NBA).
Ultimately, the DC Matrix (which recently “re-located” from Arkansas) claimed the men's championship over the Toronto Polar Bears with this un-returnable por-tres kick smash, while the San Diego Stingrays captured the women's championship after breezing by the NY Atlantics 6-1, 6-1 in a little over an hour.
The tour’s next event (which I do plan on attending) will be in Los Angeles from August 13–16, followed by two tour stops in Mexico — first in Playa del Carmen from September 24–27 and next in Guadalajara from November 19–22 — before concluding in Miami, where The City's Cup will crown the league's men's, women's, and overall champions December 3–6.
The Bigger Picture
As stunning as the venue was and as exciting as all the action turned out to be, perhaps most impressive was the fact that the NY Atlantics team hosted a youth community clinic at Mink Padel — which connected local NYC youth from StreetSquash and Uptown Inner City League with professional players and coaches for an introduction to the sport.
Of this community-building, youth-focused outing, PPL CEO Michael Dorfman said on Instagram: "It’s all well and good that celebrities love padel. But to me, this is what it’s all about.”
Heading into the weekend he further told media outlets like Sports Destination Management:
Opening our 2026 season here in New York is an incredible moment for our league. This week represents everything we’re working to build — world-class competition, meaningful opportunities for our players, and new ways to introduce more fans to padel through our partners, broadcast reach, and community initiatives. We’re excited to welcome new fans to the sport and continue growing the game together.
Given everything I’ve heard and seen about the weekend, it looks like the PPL succeeded on all fronts — and I look forward to being courtside next month in Los Angeles to take it all in firsthand.
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