On June 12, 2025, the International Association of Pickleball Facilities officially changed its name to the International Association of Pickleball and Padel Facilities. The expansion includes a major partnership with Conquer Padel, as both groups aim to grow racquet sports worldwide.
A New Name and a Shared Goal
The International Association of Pickleball Facilities has led the way in helping pickleball grow around the world. Now, with padel becoming more popular—especially in the United States—the group is expanding its mission. It will now support both pickleball and padel facilities, and has rebranded as the International Association of Pickleball and Padel Facilities.
David Johnson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the newly named association, said,
“A number of our existing members already operate both pickleball and padel courts. With padel surging in the U.S. and thriving globally, this is the right moment to bring both sports together under one roof.”-(David Johnson)
Partnership with Conquer Padel
To help lead this new direction, IAPPF has partnered with Conquer Padel, naming the company its Founding Partner and Sponsor. Conquer Padel is a fast-growing padel club franchise based in the United States. The company helps build and grow padel clubs across North America.
“Padel shares many of the same infrastructure challenges and opportunities as pickleball.This partnership helps create the professional backbone both sports need to succeed.”-(David Johnson)
Conquer Padel was founded by Enrique Gracia, Barry Falcon, and Tom Konkowski. The group is helping to make padel easier to access by offering franchising and court-building help.
Enrique Gracia, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Conquer Padel, said,
“Our vision has always been to boost the padel movement in America. By partnering with IAPPF, we gain a global platform to help shape the future of the sport—from grassroots awareness to world-class facility design.”-(Enrique Gracia)
Tom Konkowski, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, added,
“With 30M+ players globally and U.S. court growth tripling in two years, Padel isn’t just a trend—it’s a global phenomenon. Together with IAPPF, we will help ensure every stakeholder—from investors and suppliers to players and pros—has a seat at the table.”-(Tom Konkowski)
Building a Global Network
IAPPF now represents hundreds of members, including sports clubs, equipment makers, investors, and service providers from around the world. Their goal is to support the growth of both pickleball and padel by offering useful tools and hosting events.
Together, IAPPF and Conquer Padel plan to provide resources such as best practices, research papers, supplier lists, online content, and working groups. They will also organize events to help facilities, players, and businesses connect.
Upcoming events include local meetups in:
Boston on June 20
Chicago on July 18
Fort Lauderdale on August 22
The first annual International Pickleball and Padel Facilities Conference will take place on October 2–3, 2025.
News in Brief: International Association of Pickleball and Padel Facilities
The International Association of Pickleball Facilities has expanded to include padel, renaming itself the International Association of Pickleball and Padel Facilities. It has teamed up with Conquer Padel to support racquet sports globally. The partnership will offer tools, events, and guidance to help grow both sports in the U.S. and worldwide.
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