This week, padel’s growth could be measured in more than new courts. Historic medals were awarded in South America as another set comes into play in Asia, while Lacoste entered the category, Premier Padel opened a new commercial avenue, and Juan Lebrón’s latest rackets faced the test.
Here’s what moved the game this week.
Padel Makes Its Asian Games Debut in Nagoya
Padel enters new territory as competition begins at the Asian Games in Nagoya, with 43 men’s and women’s pairs chasing the sport’s first Asian Games medals. Running through October 3, the tournament adds another major multi-sport stage to padel’s rapidly expanding international calendar.
Juan Lebrón’s New Babolat Rackets Face the Test
Babolat’s latest Juan Lebrón range puts two different approaches head-to-head. The Soft 3.1 offers added elasticity and accessibility for intermediate-to-advanced players, but when competition enters the equation, the standard Viper 3.1 earned the tester’s preference for its greater precision, stability, and control.
Premier Padel Opens the Door to Live Betting
Premier Padel will enter live betting in 2027 through an exclusive multi-year partnership with iGame Media. More than 2,400 matches annually will feed official referee-recorded scores and low-latency streams to regulated operators, creating another commercial layer around the professional tour and its growing global audience.
Lacoste Steps Onto the Padel Court
Lacoste has made its first full-scale move into padel, launching two Tecnifibre-engineered rackets alongside dedicated footwear, apparel, and a premium bag. With products aimed at beginners and regular players alike, the French brand is treating padel as more than equipment, extending its sporting identity into the game’s growing lifestyle culture.
South America Crowns Its First Padel Champions
Paraguay’s Martín Abud and Facundo Dehnike and Argentina’s Victoria Vilchez and María Belén Mosca became padel’s first South American Games gold medalists. A sold-out crowd of 4,100 watched the finals in Rafaela, turning the sport’s debut from another calendar addition into a genuine continental showcase.
Highlights
Check out these highlights from Day 3 of PPL San Sebastian!
This week began and ended with medals, but the bigger story sits between them. Padel is finding its place inside multi-sport competition while simultaneously attracting fashion houses, equipment makers, media technology, and entirely new commercial models. The glass walls haven’t moved, but everything around them has.
Stay tuned next week for the biggest stories here at Padel Mecca.