The global padel boom has an unstoppable momentum, and leading the digital transformation of this fast-growing sport is Playtomic, the world’s largest platform for court bookings and amateur competitions. In an exclusive interview with Cage, Pablo Carro, Playtomic’s COO and co-founder, shares the company’s ambitious plans to break into the US market, the role of tech in modernizing racket sports, and what padel needs to reach iconic cultural status.
“We’re Growing Fast”
Playtomic has already planted its very relevant clubs in several states – a remarkable milestone for a company that only recently began its operations stateside. But for Carro, this is just the beginning.
“We’ve already established approximately 20 open, commercial padel clubs in the US” Carro says, his excitement palpable. “The best is yet to come. The team has been hired, the founders are moving there, and there’s a serious investment being allocated to ensure this space—this padel space—is driven correctly.”
Indeed, Carro and his co-founder, Felix Ruiz, are leading from the front. “Felix is moving with me to the US,” Carro explains, emphasizing their hands-on approach. “We want to be extremely connected to the business, training the team properly, and making sure they spread our vision for the sport.”
This hands-on leadership reflects Playtomic’s commitment to expanding not just as a company but as cultural pioneers.
Rafa Nadal showing up in Playtomic’s commercial
Playtomic’s growth strategy aligns with padel’s rising popularity worldwide. Carro believes the sport is primed for global breakthrough moments, particularly in advertising and storytelling.
He reflects on their recent Playtomic ad featuring Rafael Nadal, a commercial that took an unexpected, ironic twist. “We could’ve gone for a much more traditional, high-performance-oriented Rafa. But we decided to tell everyone, if you’re not Rafa, Playtomic is for you.” Carro laughs as he adds, “Just in case you’re not Rafa.” The ad resonated, injecting a mix of humor and relatability into padel’s marketing—something Carro believes the sport needs to grow culturally.
I have previously written about sport commercials, and anticipated a commercial with one of sports “larger than life” personalities. And suddenly, here’s Rafa.
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Playtomic’s bold move with Nadal signals that padel has the potential to occupy that space. It’s no longer just about the courts; it’s about the stories, the personalities, and the emotional connections that fuel a sport’s legacy.
Tennis vs. Padel: An Evolving Landscape
As padel rapidly climbs in global participation, Carro sees both opportunity and challenge for racket sports. He speaks candidly about tennis’s more traditional structures.
“Tennis is a different animal,” Carro explains. “We love tennis, it’s the king of racket sports, and the tennis industry follows a more time-tested approach – especially when it comes to club and facility management. The digital transformation we see in padel and even pickleball hasn’t fully reached tennis.”
For Carro, technology is the key to unlocking growth and participation across all racket sports. “If you want to engage tennis players, build communities, and increase play rates, you need tech tools. You simply cannot manage such a large sport effectively without digital solutions.”
Playtomic’s platform has already revolutionized padel and is making strides in tennis, where 90-95% of their bookings are for padel courts. Carro is convinced that digitization will help tennis clubs modernize and attract younger players.
Padel and Tennis: A Symbiotic Future
Despite padel’s meteoric rise, Carro insists there’s no rivalry between the two sports. “Padel and tennis should be friends,” he says. “Imagine kids starting on a padel court because it’s more accessible, then transitioning to tennis. Padel can serve as a gateway, and together, these sports can thrive.”
This accessibility is a major part of padel’s appeal. Unlike tennis, where the technical skill barrier is high, padel allows new players to enjoy the game quickly. “Tennis is hard,” Carro laughs. “600 square meters, two players hitting high-velocity balls—it’s not easy. Padel is more forgiving, and that’s why it’s attracting so many people.”
Carro’s vision is clear: Padel isn’t competing with tennis—it’s expanding the world of racket sports. For players, it’s about movement, community, and fun. For clubs and businesses, it’s about innovation, digitalization, and growth.
The Tech Advantage
Playtomic’s success lies in its tech-driven approach to community building and court management. Padel clubs powered by Playtomic enjoy better data, smarter operations, and higher utilization rates. For sports like tennis, which still rely on manual systems and outdated practices, this kind of technology could be transformative.
Carro believes that once tennis clubs embrace digital tools, they’ll unlock new opportunities for growth. “My gut feeling is that if tennis were fully digitized, its utilization rates would increase significantly,” he says. “We see this in the small tennis communities already using our open-match features. The engagement and enjoyment levels are tremendous.”
The Future of Playtomic and Padel
For Carro, the path ahead is clear. Playtomic’s expansion into the US is a major step toward fully globalizing padel, and its vision for digitizing racket sports positions the company as a leader in innovation.
With tech as its backbone and padel as its engine, Playtomic is not just building a business—it’s shaping the future of sport.
“Padel is only at the beginning of its story,” Carro says confidently. “There’s so much more to come.”
And Playtomic might just be at the center of it all.
