The Changeover: Your June 2026 U.S. Padel Recap
Here's (almost) everything you need to know...
Dear Padel Nation,
While many exciting and positive things happened in the U.S. padel world this past month, June 2026 also brought some heartbreaking news on two separate fronts…
First off, we lost U.S. padel pioneer, Ultra Padel Club founder, and former Team USA player and coach, Fernando Alcaron, in a tragic accident in Florida at the end of the month that also took the life of his 18-year-old daughter.
While I didn’t know him personally, from the outpouring of support, grief, and fond memories on social media, it’s clear he was a true legend in his own time and much beloved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing — or playing alongside — him.
Secondly, I got word that one of the very first padel courts to ever be built in the U.S. (in Chattanooga, TN in 1996 — pictured above) has been unceremoniously torn down with little to no warning to — or approval from — its original benefactors and/or ongoing supporters.
Coupled with the news that Orlando Padel Club Indoor is closing its doors and adding to a growing and troubling — yet probably inevitable — trend we’re seeing in U.S. padel, you might think June was a month best put behind us.
But, alas, all was not lost. Because this past month we also got word that:
Municipal padel courts have recently opened in Amarillo, TX (per the very recently rebranded USA Padel — formerly the United States Padel Association) and just outside Detroit in Southgate, MI (per our friends at the El Remate newsletter)…
Nicol NJ recently added three new outdoor padel courts to its indoor padel, squash, and pickleball offerings…
Our friends at Padel Plant just set a new all-time attendance record for a USPA 100-level event at the recently held first edition of the Virginia Padel Open…
Our friends at Clubhouse Sports held the first-ever Charleston Padel Cup here in Charleston, SC — and it was a smashing success despite the heat…
Our friends (and Padel Nation sponsors) at Wakit Rakit held a FIP Promises Tour event at their recently opened club in Spring, Texas…
CNBC is set to begin broadcasting the Pro Padel League starting with next week’s 2026 season debut at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City (as if I don’t have CNBC on enough already!)…
USA Padel has declared October 2026 to be “National Padel Month” — with a number of initiatives designed to get new players on court and recognize the pioneers who have helped build the sport is the U.S. over the past 33 years, and…
Pope Leo XIV (the first-ever U.S.-born Pope) was introduced to padel during the recent Premier Padel Italy Major in Rome.
And although June saw me traveling far less than I did in May to play padel, I’ll be heading to Spain for most all of July — in part to play some padel, in part to just get away from it all for a bit post finishing my padel book, and in part to go to my first-ever Premier Padel tournament in Málaga.
On a publication front, regular guest contributor, Scott Matulis, launched a new bi-monthly series that we’ll be publishing called, “How I Became Obsessed With Padel” and his first two installments featured Padel N9NE Founder Aaron Hasnain and new Los Angeles Beat owner David Eisen (both of whom are so obsessed with padel they have their own private courts).
And finally, in June, I had the pleasure and honor of welcoming two new Padel Nation sponsors: AMET International (who now officially powers our publication) and Playbypoint (who is joining us as an official preferred partner).
I’m extremely grateful for — and humbled by — their support and look forward to working with both of these great brands as they continue to help build padel across the U.S.
To close out, I’ve included a few of the other articles we published last month below in case you missed them.
As always, thanks for reading, have a great Fourth — and play up!
- ae
««« Five New U.S. Padel Clubs To Know About »»»
New padel clubs are soon set to open (or recently already have) everywhere from padel strongholds like Florida and Texas to new padel frontiers like Utah, Maryland, and Orange County, California. Here’s what you need to know.
««« The Biggest U.S. Metros Without Padel »»»
With new padel clubs opening all the time across the U.S., you might be surprised by some of the rather large metro areas that still don’t have padel (yet). Here are the five biggest.
««« Are the Padel Courts You Play on Legal? »»»
Eric Loftus (of Northeast Padel and the American Sports Builders Association) penned an important — and perhaps somewhat controversial — guest piece for us last month exploring the fact that many outdoor padel courts in the U.S. may not be compliant structures under the building codes of the jurisdictions where they stand.
So, are the courts you’re playing on “legal”? You might be surprised — and the consequences can be dire if not.
««« An Inside Look at the L.A. Padel Scene »»»
The L.A. padel scene is really starting to take off, so guest contributor Scott Matulis recently sat down with one of the L.A. padel scene’s true OGs, Jon Guerra, to learn more about where L.A. padel has been, where it’s at now, and where it’s going next.
««« Padel Set to Re-Establish Its TN Roots »»»
While it was somewhere between disappointing and devastating to learn that one of the first-ever padel courts in the U.S. was recently torn down after 30 years in Chattanooga, TN, the good news is that four new courts at two new clubs (one in Chattanooga and one in tiny Gray) will soon help U.S. padel to re-establish its roots in Eastern Tennessee.
… and that’s a wrap — until next month, at least!
If you enjoyed this article, please be sure to subscribe to Padel Nation (for free!) to get exciting updates and important insights on the rapidly emerging U.S. padel scene like this one delivered directly to your inbox 2X weekly — or share it with a padel-playing friend.
Finally, as always, a big thank you to the friends and preferred partners of Padel Nation who help make posts like this possible, including:
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Oh, and one other thing… I’ve actually got a full-blown padel book coming out in July. So, if you enjoy the work I’m doing in the U.S. padel space, you can support me by pre-ordering a copy (or two!) online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Many thanks in advance!