New York Yankees invest in Padel racket sport’s circuit tour

Business

From Josh Kosman

March 28, 2023 | 3:17 p.m

The New York Yankees are swinging for the next racquet sport craze.

Yankee Global Enterprises announced Tuesday that it has agreed to buy an interest in the A1 Padel Circuit Tour.

Padel is not a new sport, but it is relatively unknown in America. Two people play on each side of a tennis court that is slightly smaller than a doubles court. There are walls delimiting the yard. Players can hit balls that bounce off the walls onto the court, making it a bit like squash.

Scoring is the same as tennis.

“We look forward to serving as a strategic partner to promote the sport of padel and the A1 Padel brand, particularly in raising awareness in the United States and beyond,” said Yankees President Randy Levine.

The investment comes as the similar sport of pickleball becomes a national craze. Tom Brady and LeBron James recently invested in Pickleball.

Pickleball is also often played in doubles, and the pickleball rackets look the same as in padel. Players in both pickleball and padel also serve sneakily.

Padel started in 1969 and has become a popular sport in countries like Spain and France.

The Yankees hope they can generate interest by broadcasting A1 padel tournaments on their YES cable network and establishing US clinics via portable courts, a source familiar with the plans said.

A1 Padel was founded in 2020 by Monte Carlo International Sports chief executive officer Fabrice Pastor with hopes of making padel an eventual Olympic sport, the Yankees said.

In 2022, the A1 Padel Tour traveled through 14 cities, 11 countries and three continents.

Yankee Global Enterprises first went international in October, investing in the AC Milan soccer team.