North America’s first professional Padel league – is excited to announce that top ATP stars Juan Martin del Potro (2009 US Open Champion), Tommy Haas (former ATP Tour #2 Singles Player), Jared Palmer (former ATP #1 Doubles Player), and MLS MVP Sebastian Giovonco (MLS MVP) will be headlining the opening weekend of the first PPL season.
Starting May 13th, the regular season will take place over the course of four weekends at the Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center on Florida’s Sports Coast (Pasco County, FL). With seven teams in competition, the season will conclude with the championship weekend on June 10t-11th where there will be a semifinal round followed by the two best teams competing in the finals for the PPL Cup. Teams will be comprised of four active players including two men, and two women, and four alternates, and will follow the international scoring format,
For their historic inaugural season, the PPL will be aired weekly in over 100 million television households with their broadcast partners on 40 different networks including BeIN Sports, AT&T Sportsnet, MASN, SWX Sports, and Spectrum. Internationally, the season will be aired on select networks such as CaribVision, BeIN Sports en Espanol, and Game+ Network in Canada with matches live streamed on the PPL’s YouTube Channel.
Originating in Mexico, the high-octane sport has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, gaining increasing popularity in Mexico and Europe and most recently, the U.S. and Canada.
Merrill Wealth Management will be the Founding Sponsor of PPL. Merrill has a long history of serving the complex needs of clients in the sports and entertainment industries, and a deep understanding of their unique financial challenges and opportunities.
“We are honored to have Merrill Wealth Management, an iconic American company, become a Founding Sponsor of the PPL for our inaugural season,” said Marcos Del Pilar, PPL Commissioner. “We are looking forward to working with Merrill to bring the world’s fastest growing sport to North America this month and showcasing the game to millions of people.”
The PPL’s mission is to create a premier sports league providing a national stage for the sport while generating nationwide awareness and excitement for Padel. Something that has never been done before, the PPL will provide players and fans with a new platform that showcases Padel and grows participation in the sport.
Currently, Padel has over 25 million players worldwide and is growing in popularity in the U.S. with the number of Padel courts set to double in 2023. Over 8 million players are projected to be playing in the U.S. by 2030. The PPL will enable players, coaches, team owners, facility owners, broadcasters, fans, sponsors, and brands to all be involved in, and capitalize on, the sport’s explosive growth.
Dedicated to celebrating Padel’s Spanish roots, the League has made VAMOS! the PPL’s official slogan. For more information on the PPL, visit: https://propadelleague.com/. VAMOS!