If you thought pickleball was the hottest social sport in Dallas right now, it’s time to learn about padel.
Dallas’ first facility dedicated to the fast-growing racket sport padel is set to open in the Design District in 2026. Padel Haus will be a 24,000 square-foot warehouse with six padel courts, a juice bar, an actual bar and locker rooms.
So what’s padel? Santiago Gomez, founder and CEO of Padel Haus, said it’s “the fastest growing sport in the world,” a claim largely backed up by news stories explaining a surge of interest in the sport. Padel is a doubles game played on a court smaller than tennis. Walls lining each court can be used strategically, meaning players can ricochet the ball off of them.
“Pickleball is like checkers and padel is like chess,” Gomez said.
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Padel is inherently a social game because it’s only played doubles, Gomez said. It will seem familiar to people who have played tennis, squash or pickleball.
Texans will likely pronounce the sport’s name like paddle, though some in other parts of the country say it puh-DELL.
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Padel Haus is a New York based company expanding into the Dallas Design District in 2026. Here’s a look at one of the facilities in New York City.
Padel Haus
Although the game is relatively new to Texas, padel has been around since the late 1960s. Gomez started playing it in his native Mexico in the 1990s. He says the first padel club in the United States arrived in the late 2010s. He opened the first Padel Haus in New York City in 2022.
The Dallas facility, which is expected to open in 2026, will be Padel Haus’ seventh location, following clubs in Nashville, Atlanta, Denver and more.
He sees the facilities as “360″ entertainment: Members play a game or two, but they can also socialize, eat and drink.
Customers don’t have to own their own equipment or have padel experience. Rackets are available for rent. Those who want to sharpen their skills can take private lessons or padel clinics.
Gomez liked the Dallas Design District location because he was able to find a space big enough to install six padel courts — which can be rare in urban corridors of Dallas. It’s also close to business districts, and Gomez hopes some participants stop in to play padel before or after work, or at lunch.
“I think the Design District is the heartbeat of Dallas from a creative and cultural point of view,” Gomez told The Dallas Morning News. He named Carbone and the Virgin Hotel as suitable neighbors to Padel Haus, which considers itself a lifestyle and wellness company.
“I think it’s aspirational and stylish,” he said of the Design District, “and exactly what we were looking for.”
Dallasite David Holiner, who brokered the real estate deal, said Padel Haus will bring “daytime activation” to the Dallas Design District, which is needed in a neighborhood teeming with high-end dinner destinations.
Gomez has plans to open 15 Padel Hauses in the next three years. He sees a growth opportunity specifically in the United States, which has about 750 padel courts today. Compare that to Spain, which he estimates has 20,000 courts.
“The sport in the U.S. is in its nascent years,” Gomez said. “I’m sure it can achieve tens of thousands of courts in the years to come.”
Padel Haus will be at 1500 Dragon St., Dallas. It’s expected to open in 2026.