First Mexico, then Spain and Argentina, and now the United States. Padel continues to capture market after market around the globe as it grows in popularity. In North America, Pro Padel League (PPL), the continent’s professional competition, recently capitalized on a successful second season by securing $10 million in seed funding from Left Lane Capital, Kactus Capital, Gary Vaynerchuk, and other investors.

The ten-team upstart league boasts some of the best players in the world, including women’s world number one player Ariana Sanchez Fallada and men’s top players Augustine Tapia and Federico Chingotto. It is also backed by celebrities like Daddy Yankee, and counts Ella Emhoff and Andrew Schultz amongst its fans. In just two years, PPL has established a strong foundation across the continent with clubs from Cancun to Toronto, and in most of the major U.S. markets, including L.A., Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and Houston.

The league’s first-ever institutional investment will help it professionalize its operations and guide it toward the heights of the other major sporting leagues in North America. The funds are expected to be put toward hiring a commissioner, a CRO, a CFO, and establishing a permanent headquarters.

Harley Miller, CEO of Left Lane Capital said “Having seen the explosion of padel globally, we recognized a chance to partner early with PPL to own the market for one of the fastest-growing emerging sports." He added that "PPL’s differentiated team-based format allows fans and players to rally behind city-based teams in North America, featuring world-class talent. This is one of the many reasons we’re excited to support PPL’s growth as they build a new era for Padel.”

Mike Dorfman, CEO of PPL, says the recent investment will “further accelerate” the explosive rise of the fastest-growing sport in America. Speaking to me ahead of the investment announcement, Dorfman admitted he got into Padel after the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many people, Dorfman was looking for a way to stay active and socialize while maintaining a safe distance. In New York, it was impossible to play tennis, but Padel was the perfect solution for the former tennis player. At Padel Haus, Brooklyn’s most well-known club, Dorfman fell in love with Padel, so much so that he exited the tech company he founded and became CEO of the nascent Padel league.

Now guiding PPL, Dorfman is looking to grow the league into a highly professional and exhilarating spectator sport. Despite obvious competition from North America’s traditional sports, and other Padel competitions like Premier Padel and Hexagon Cup, Dorfman strongly believes the U.S. market is open for business. In fact, he thinks “the potential is unlimited in the States.”

With the major markets already in play, Dorfman is looking to secondary and tertiary cities that are opening their first Padel clubs. While the expansion of Padel in the U.S. is almost a guarantee — the United States Padel Association estimates the country will have 15 million active players and 20,000 courts in five years — exactly where the league establishes new teams is a different story. Dorfman says that will depend on which markets mature the quickest.

Padel’s appeal goes beyond the competitive element. It is a social sport, played in pairs, that allows people of all walks of life to meet each other, socialize, and break a sweat. It is more dynamic than pickleball, but just as easy to play without any experience. It is also a cultural force that continues to draw in celebrity investors from the entertainment industry and other major sports like soccer and F1. Padel’s cultural appeal is one of the reasons Jolene Delisle agreed to work with PPL.

Delisle is the founder and creative director of the creative agency The Working Assembly. Her team was charged with designing the PPL brand. However, to them it was about more than just developing a brand, “it was about helping build a community around it,” and crafting the sport’s identity in the U.S.

The challenge was establishing PPL’s American identity while honoring the game’s global roots. Delisle says the bold typography and dynamic color palette symbolize the sport’s speed, sharp angles, and fluid movement. They created an instantly recognizable brand that feels bold, energetic, and inclusive.

Despite its sleek branding and recent cash injection, PPL remains a challenger league in a market full of sharks. To become a top-tier spectator sport in the U.S. Padel needs to create development pathways for kids. According to Dorfman, this requires infrastructure and school programs. Creating more courts and clubs, and offering children the chance to begin playing in school and continue playing through college will guarantee that North American children are well-educated in Padel. Moreover, new investment will increase the probability of homegrown stars.

Delisle is convinced that Padel will become a premier sport and brand. She says it “has everything going for it—it’s fast, social, and incredibly fun to play and watch.” However, to elevate to the next level, in her eyes, it needs to become “an experience.” She says if PPL and the wider Padel ecosystem get the storytelling right, Padel can transform from a global sport into a lifestyle movement.

For now, PPL will settle for expanding to new cities and establishing a new HQ. Dorfman says the 2025 season will go ahead with the same ten teams, but the league is looking to expand to twelve teams ahead of 2026. Franchises were sold for $200,000 in 2023, but as the sport’s popularity continues to skyrocket, potential investors can expect that number to increase exponentially.

In 2025, fans can expect a highly consumable and digital product. PPL will continue using the AI camera it piloted last season to create player heatmaps. It will also place additional microphones and cameras around the courts to help deliver more sounds and viewing angles. Dorfman is particularly excited about PPL’s attempts to merge sports with arts and culture. Live events, food experiences, and uniquely designed uniforms and paddles are all in store for the 2025 Pro Padel League season. Fans in North America can enjoy all the action on over 16 different broadcasters that make the sport accessible to over 300 million households.