How Instantpadel paved the way for the racket club of America’s future
As the Founder of Instantpadel, core parts of my DNA include innovation, a progressive outlook, and an ability to consistently look two steps ahead. That’s why I co-founded my company alongside my business partner, Magnus Berglund, to bring a different approach to the trajectory of the world’s fastest-growing sport, and to push the boundaries of what’s possible in traditional environments.
These goals lead the team to break new ground, launching Instantpadel’s portable court at New York’s Westside Tennis Club, one of America’s most storied sporting venues. It may have been surprising to tennis enthusiasts to see such a progressive court installed at a bastion of the sport’s tradition and history. But it was an example of the best blend of tradition and modernity—a signal of how things are evolving with traditional racket clubs.
Honoring The Past, Innovating For The Future
The Westside Tennis Club is steeped in history, hosting the U.S. Open and 10 Davis Cup finals during the last 60 years. To be blunt, it is a monument to American tennis. However, the best traditional “brands” and destinations never stand still. Contrary to popular belief, they blend the conventional with the contemporary.
Think of Wimbledon, the world’s greatest tennis tournament. To many fans, this event epitomizes tradition; however, beneath the surface, it becomes clear that the championship is constantly evolving (as with the installment of roofs at Centre Court and Court 1, and ongoing expansion plans). These changes happened while the tournament maintained an impression of tradition.
By embracing the increasingly popular racket sport of padel at its iconic venue, the Westside Tennis Club is positioning a trending sport (that has the world buzzing and will soon have America buzzing, too) against the classic backdrop for grass-court tennis. This will ensure that the club remains vibrant, forward-thinking, and relevant.
Bringing Padel To New Audiences
The Instantpadel mantra is to bring padel to new audiences. When others see problems (as many operators do with planning, permissions, and red tape), our team sees solutions. We view padel as a game for all-comers, whether they are “everyday Joes” walking down the street or tennis purists who claim they will never try another racket sport. With our unique, “anywhere, everywhere” padel solution, facilities don’t need any groundwork to prepare for a court, nor do they need permits or extensive planning permissions. This means Instantpadel courts can bring padel to spaces that other solutions cannot. Portable courts offer a quick route to get padel up and running for players to enjoy. Growing the sport requires removing barriers to access, and that includes bringing modern, startup sports like padel to esteemed destinations like the Westside Tennis Club.
Spark Of Innovation
The team recently developed the world’s first padel and pickleball court; while padel is growing quickly worldwide, pickleball has made all the headlines across the U.S.
The company wanted to offer something unique and exciting that catered to the U.S. market—a market that has embraced pickleball and is on the cusp of embracing padel in a big way, too. The revolutionary dual court, known as Versacourt Pickleball Performance Tile, is paving the way for how the two sports can coexist in a country where over 36.5 million people already play pickleball. Perhaps best of all, this dual solution will result in more players crossing the divide between padel and pickleball, enjoying both sports. It’s a win-win because of innovative thinking.
A Head-Turning Track Record
Since Instantpadel’s journey began, the company has been a highly visible part of padel’s global growth, with 170 installs across 18 countries. We have a stellar track record of installing padel courts in unconventional places and activating “dead community” areas, downtown spots, and unique locations where one wouldn’t expect to find padel. This includes the Westfield Shopping Centre in London (Europe’s largest shopping center), a boat in Kuwait, underneath the Eiffel Tower, the iconic Battersea Power Station by the River Thames in London, and now, “the home of rugby union,” Twickenham Stadium (also in London). The brand’s innovative, progressive, and forward-thinking approach, combined with its expertise in delivering portable and efficient padel courts to a wide range of unexpected locations, shows what is possible in today’s world and is perfectly symbolic of the American dream.