In the evolving world of racquet sports, operators across the U.S. are expanding their focus from tennis and pickleball to embrace padel — a fast-paced, glass-walled game gaining traction among both players and investors.
For industry leaders Tim Bainton and Jason Wnuk of Blue Chip Sports Management — and now leading the charge at Epic Padel alongside CEO Hala Sarkis — this isn’t just the next trend. It’s a strategic evolution designed to future-proof facilities and deepen member engagement.
Bainton, co-founder and COO of Epic Padel and president of Blue Chip Sports Management, spent decades navigating the ebbs and flows of tennis. He has witnessed pickleball’s explosive rise. Next, he believes padel’s unique mix of playability, athleticism and social appeal positions it for sustained growth — provided it’s executed thoughtfully.
“If you’re willing to adopt tennis, pickleball and padel, you’re off to the races — you’re creating a real ecosystem that drives revenue and engagement across generations,” said Bainton.
That belief underpins Epic Padel’s model: a nationwide network of high-quality clubs backed by significant investment. Their strategy blends standalone developments, university partnerships and integration into existing racquet and health club ecosystems to maximize reach and minimize risk.
Wnuk, deputy COO of Epic Padel, also manages multi-sport elements under the Blue Chip brand, including facilities like Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa in Herndon, Virginia — a 130,000-square-foot venue featuring tennis, pickleball and golf simulators.
Wnuk cautions that single-sport facilities represent “the old model.” In an era of fluctuating participation, he believes multi-sport hubs provide resilience, cross-pollinate memberships and capture multiple revenue streams.
“We’ve seen more cross-population when we have tennis, golf and pickleball in one place,” explained Wnuk. “Someone drops out of golf but signs their kid up for tennis — it keeps people in the building.”
Padel fits seamlessly into this approach, complementing rather than competing with existing offerings and leveraging shared infrastructure for higher retention.
Globally, padel is booming — Dubai alone now has more courts than the entire U.S. But the American market offers distinct advantages. One key factor: installation flexibility. Padel courts are prefabricated, require less space than tennis, and can be deployed in underutilized areas, allowing facilities to refresh aging amenities without major structural changes.
“Facilities often have space that’s no longer driving engagement,” Wnuk noted. “Padel is a way to activate that space with something dynamic and fresh.”
Epic Padel’s first U.S. facility in Charlotte, North Carolina — launching this summer — exemplifies this model. The project transformed a mid-tier swim and tennis club by converting three of 15 tennis courts into padel courts, modernizing the gym and refreshing amenities. Epic Padel now operates the entire racquets programming at the club, delivering integrated tennis, pickleball and padel offerings under one umbrella.
Epic Padel’s ambitions extend beyond Charlotte, with plans to open four additional locations by the end of the year in Utah, Wisconsin, Virginia and Maryland.
Beyond physical clubs, Epic Padel has made significant investments in major padel activations worldwide, including Ultra, Padel Haus, Padel 39, Hexagon Cup, Padel Hub, Red Padel, Clutch AI and the Pro Padel League, demonstrating its commitment to accelerating the sport’s profile at every level.
Epic Padel has also signed a national sponsorship agreement with Adidas and developed a proprietary in-house CRM booking system and accompanying mobile app, giving members and operators a seamless, tech-enabled experience across its growing network.
Ultimately, Epic Padel’s vision goes beyond one sport. Combining tennis, pickleball and padel into a single, cohesive ecosystem creates financial sustainability for operators, richer experiences for members and long-term community value.
“This is about more than one sport,” Wnuk emphasizes. “It’s about building something sustainable — financially and socially.”
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Trinity Rea
Trinity Rea is a staff writer at Peake Media, contributing to Pickleball Innovators and other industry publications. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Emerging Media Design and Development.
