This week in RADL Wire, brand investment across racquet sports continues to accelerate at every level of the ecosystem. Franklin Sports steps into the spotlight as Title Sponsor of the 10th Anniversary US Open Pickleball Championships, while Agassi Sports Entertainment Corp. strengthens its global positioning by naming MKTG as Agency of Record. Technology innovation also takes center stage as wearable brand Mibro previews an AI-powered coaching system tailored to padel athletes, underscoring the rise of sport-specific performance intelligence. Meanwhile, financial services deepen their commitment to tennis, with Protective Life appointing former ATP star John Isner as brand ambassador.

This Week’s RADL Wire:

• Franklin Sports Named Title Sponsor of US Open Pickleball Championships

• HEAD unveiled the new TRIFLEX Radical Collection

• National Padel League Caps Record Debut Season with USA National Team League Finals

NEWS

Franklin Sports Named Title Sponsor of US Open Pickleball Championships in 10th Anniversary Year

Franklin Sports has been named the Official Title Sponsor of the US Open Pickleball Championships, marking a multi-year expansion of its presence at the sport’s most recognizable global event. The agreement arrives as The Open celebrates its 10th anniversary, with the 2026 edition scheduled for April 11–18 in Naples, Florida. For Franklin, the elevation from longstanding Official Ball partner to Title Sponsor reflects both brand maturity and strategic investment in pickleball’s flagship platform.

Franklin has served as the tournament’s Official Ball since 2016, with its X-40 model widely regarded as one of the sport’s benchmark products. The new title sponsorship formalizes what has effectively been a decade-long integration into the event’s competitive infrastructure.

ASE Names MKTG as Global PR Agency to Accelerate Racquet Sports Platform Rollout

As investment and innovation continue to reshape the racquet-sports landscape, Agassi Sports Entertainment Corp. (ASE) has appointed MKTG Sports + Entertainment as its global PR Agency of Record, signaling an intensified push to elevate brand positioning and market visibility across tennis, pickleball, and padel. MKTG operates within Dentsu, the Tokyo-headquartered global media and marketing network active in more than 140 markets. Through that integration, ASE will also gain access to dentsu Sports Analytics, which specializes in sponsorship valuation, fan intelligence, and performance measurement.

HEAD Introduces TRIFLEX Radical Collection, Targeting All-Court Versatility

HEAD has unveiled its new TRIFLEX Radical Collection, a performance-driven update designed to serve the growing cohort of all-court pickleball players seeking a balance of power, control, and feel. Positioned under the Radical franchise — one of HEAD’s most recognizable performance lines — the TRIFLEX iteration introduces a newly engineered three-layer core system aimed at delivering what the company calls “ultimate flex.”

INDUSTRY

National Padel League Caps Record Debut Season with USA National Team League Finals in Miami

The rapid professionalization of American padel continues as the National Padel League (NPL) prepares to host the Season 1 National Finals of its USA National Team League in North Miami, concluding what organizers describe as the largest structured amateur team padel campaign in U.S. history. Set for March 13–15 at Reserve Sole Mia, the championship event caps a landmark inaugural season that activated 37 cities across six regions and engaged more than 1,900 registered players competing on 160-plus teams.

Mibro Brings AI Coaching to Padel at Mobile World Congress 2026

At Mobile World Congress 2026, smart wearables company Mibro will spotlight its in-development AI Coach system — a watch-based artificial intelligence platform designed to provide real-time training insights tailored specifically to padel athletes. Padel’s compact court dimensions, explosive rallies, and rapid shot selection create a data-rich environment well suited for motion analysis. Mibro’s AI Coach is engineered to track five stroke types, swing speed, and heart rate, and to correlate performance outputs with heart rate variability (HRV).

PEOPLE

Protective Life Taps John Isner as Brand Ambassador Ahead of 2026 Miami Open

Financial services brands continue to deepen their alignment with racquet sports, and Protective Life Corporation is reinforcing its tennis footprint with the appointment of retired ATP standout John Isner as its new brand ambassador. The Birmingham-based insurer, a U.S. subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc., is positioning the partnership around themes of longevity, preparation, and long-term financial planning — attributes that defined Isner’s nearly two-decade run on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour.