The Pro Padel League (PPL) – North America’s first professional Padel league – announced that they held their historic, inaugural Player Draft on March 20th that included all seven franchise owners in attendance with League Commissioner, Marcos Del Pilar, and Draft Coordinator, Nancy Malone, announcing the player selections.
A historic milestone for the League, the PPL received approximately 500 entries from players in 57 countries including top North American and international players from Australia, Asia, South America, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
“Today was an incredible day for our League including all of our team owners and the players who were selected in the Draft,” said Marcos Del Pilar, League Commissioner. “This is a huge milestone for the League and our teams who can now prepare for the start of our first season in May.”
This season, teams will be comprised of four active players including two men, and two women, and four alternates. Of the eight players on each team, six players will be from North America to further boost and promote the growth of Padel across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The final team selections for the seven franchises can be viewed on the Pro Padel League website: https://propadelleague.com/2023/03/draft-results/
The PPL’s inaugural season will kick-off in Tampa in May of 2023 with seven teams and conclude with the PPL CUP in June of 2023 where the four best teams will compete for the title.
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!