As the Winter Olympics near their conclusion, attention is already shifting toward the Summer Games, underscored by the release of squash’s Olympic qualification pathway and the sport’s growing global momentum. Against that backdrop, professional pickleball and the broader racquet-sports ecosystem continue to attract meaningful brand, media, and retail investment, highlighted by a new wave of high-profile partnerships and activations. Performance apparel brand SXY is deepening its footprint through a multi-year agreement as Official Team Uniform and Headwear Partner of Major League Pickleball, while CÎROC Vodka brings elevated hospitality and lifestyle branding courtside as the exclusive vodka sponsor of Desert Smash 2026, reinforcing racquet sports’ expanding intersection of competition, culture, and commerce.

This Week’s RADL Wire:

• SQUASH LA28

• Industry News

• Selkirk’s CourtStrike 2.0

SQUASH

Squash Sets Qualification Path for LA28 Olympic Debut

The Olympic Qualification System (OQS) for squash at the LA28 Olympic Games has been approved by the International Olympic Committee, outlining how athletes will qualify for the sport’s first Olympic appearance. Competition will run July 15–24, 2028, with 16-player men’s and women’s singles draws staged at the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios.

Developed by World Squash and the Professional Squash Association, the OQS features five qualification routes: Continental Games, Host Country Quota, World Rankings, Universality Places, and a Final World Qualifying Tournament. The system is designed to balance elite performance with global representation, limiting most National Olympic Committees to one athlete per gender, with up to three NOCs eligible to qualify two. Learn More

INDUSTRY NEWS

SXY Deepens Its Play in Pro Pickleball With League, Tour, and Retail Partnerships

Performance apparel brand SXY is accelerating its expansion in professional pickleball, announcing a series of strategic partnerships that position the company at the center of the sport’s fastest-growing platforms. The multi-pronged initiative spans team competition, retail distribution, and event sponsorship across MLP presented by DoorDash, Pickleball Central, and the Carvana PPA Tour. Under a new multi-year agreement, SXY becomes the Official Team Uniform and Official Headwear Partner of Major League Pickleball for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

CÎROC Brings Elevated Hospitality to the Court as Official Vodka Sponsor of Desert Smash 2026

Luxury spirits brand CÎROC Vodka is stepping firmly into the racquet-sports spotlight, naming its CÎROC Athletic Club as the driving platform behind its role as Official Vodka Sponsor of Desert Smash 2026. Now entering its 22nd year, Desert Smash has become one of the most recognizable intersections of sport, celebrity, and philanthropy, blending elite tennis and pickleball competition with entertainment and cultural cachet. The partnership positions CÎROC as the exclusive vodka partner across the event, aligning the brand’s “Leisure Well” philosophy with one of racquet sports’ most visible lifestyle-driven showcases.

Agassi Sports Entertainment Taps Industry Veteran George Mackin to Guide Next Phase of Growth

Agassi Sports Entertainment Corp. is adding seasoned executive firepower as it builds out its racquet-sports platform, appointing George Mackin as a strategic consultant. The move signals ASE’s intent to lean heavily into media, events, and technology as it scales its footprint across tennis, pickleball, and adjacent racquet disciplines. Mackin brings decades of experience creating and monetizing sports media properties, live events, and technology-enabled businesses, with a résumé that spans media representation, tournament ownership, and strategic investment at the highest levels of global tennis.

Windy City Sports Outlet Redefines Racquet Sports Retail With Test-Before-You-Buy Activations

As pickleball and padel continue to surge, retailers are being pushed to rethink how consumers discover, evaluate, and ultimately purchase equipment. A new entrant outside Chicago is leaning fully into that shift. Windy City Sports Outlet has opened in Wheeling with a hands-on, experiential model that puts racquet sports testing and customization at the center of the buying journey. Windy City Sports Outlet is designed as a testing lab for racquet sports. Shoppers can step directly onto a dedicated court to feel the difference between paddle faces, grip sizes, and balance profiles—an approach that mirrors how golfers test clubs or runners trial footwear.

APPAREL

Selkirk’s CourtStrike 2.0

Selkirk has introduced CourtStrike 2.0 and CourtStrike Pro 2.0, the next iteration of its pickleball-specific footwear platform—refined through thousands of hours of playtesting and direct player feedback. Originally designed to address the unique movement demands of pickleball—quick lateral shuffles, abrupt stops, pivots, and split steps—CourtStrike filled a gap left by traditional running and tennis shoes. Players praised the original for its lateral stability, court-specific traction, and locked-in yet breathable fit, while also pointing to opportunities to improve durability and long-session comfort. Version 2.0 focuses on refinement rather than reinvention.

The result is a shoe that maintains the original CourtStrike philosophy while improving longevity, comfort, and performance where players need it most—especially during long days on court.