INDUSTRY NEWS

Lacoste Makes Full Padel Push With Debut Racket, Apparel and Footwear Collection

Lacoste is officially entering the padel equipment market, launching its first complete collection for the sport as the French brand looks to extend its longstanding racquet-sports business into one of the category’s fastest-growing disciplines. The new line goes beyond apparel, encompassing two padel rackets, footwear, technical clothing and a premium bag. The rackets were developed with Tecnifibre, the French racquet-sports specialist owned by Lacoste since 2017, giving the fashion and sportswear brand an established technical platform for its move into padel.

US Squash Announces New High Performance Structure and National Search for Chief Performance Officer

As US Squash prepares for squash’s Olympic debut, the organization is elevating its commitment to High Performance and Performance Innovation. To realize its bold vision for the future of American squash, US Squash is restructuring its High Performance Team and will launch a national search for the organization’s first Chief Performance Officer (CPO). The search will begin in December, immediately following the World Team Championships. The CPO will be the senior leader responsible for establishing and executing the overall strategy, structure and culture of elite performance for US Squash. 

PEOPLE

Selkirk’s Sparta Pipeline Produces Its First Elite Pro in Rafa Lenhard

Selkirk Sport’s investment in identifying and developing emerging pickleball talent has produced its first promotion to the company’s top sponsorship tier, with Brazilian professional Rafa Lenhard moving from the Sparta Program to Selkirk’s Elite Pro roster.

Lenhard earned his initial Selkirk contract at the inaugural Sparta Combine in September 2025. Over the following year, he progressed from regional qualifiers to the upper levels of the professional game, highlighted by a PPA Main Tour bronze medal in Daytona and a victory over world No. 1 Federico Staksrud. His new agreement makes him the first athlete to advance from a Sparta Pro contract to Selkirk’s highest level of professional sponsorship.

CLUBS

How Racquet Sports Can Grow Club Culture and Memberships

There was a time, not so long ago, when the tennis pro shop sat silently many weekday afternoons, and racquet sports felt like a holdover from another era — elegant but fading. That time is over. Modern racquet sports boom is powered by the rapid accessibility of pickleball, the surging luxury appeal of padel, and an overarching cultural shift toward social, multi-sport recreation. What was once a single-sport tradition has splintered—and multiplied—into a thriving ecosystem that’s reshaping what private clubs offer, build, and promise their members. Need a perfect case study? The tennis and pickleball program at Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, N.C., has never been in better shape, and as the club gets ready for a golf course renovation, it’s never been more poised to take the next step. 

Palm Beach Royals Turn Inaugural MLP Season Into Playoff Run and Growing Local Brand

The Palm Beach Royals closed their first Major League Pickleball season with a playoff series victory, a growing roster of corporate partners and an expanding presence across South Florida—giving the expansion franchise early momentum as it heads into 2027. The Royals finished among the top five at each of their five regular-season stops before entering the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Palm Beach won its opening playoff series in Dallas before advancing to the quarterfinals in Newport Beach. Sofia Sewing and Tina Pisnik led the team with 68% and 67% win rates, respectively, while combining for an 18-0 women’s doubles streak.