The racket sport padel is not new, but it does have new momentum, seeming to surpass pickleball as the hot new thing. A recent announcement reveals that San Antonio is one of five Texas cities starting amateur teams within the National Padel League (NPL). Registration is open now and closes October 6.
Specifically, these fall under the USA National Team League, and they’ll be “the country’s first structured amateur padel team league with nationwide reach,” according to a press release. The league is endorsed by the U.S. Padel Association (USPA).
The league will start this fall and is divided into six regions containing 40 cities. Texas and Florida are each big enough to constitute their own regions separately from the Southwest and Southeast cities, respectively. Texas teams are popping up in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and El Paso.
Padel is a lot like pickleball, squash, and tennis. The sport was born in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico. Among the most notable distinctions are that the court is enclosed in glass walls, the game uses paddles and low-pressure balls, and players expend more energy moving around the court. It is seen as a highly tactical game.
“This is a landmark moment for amateur padel in the United States,” said National Padel League director Luis Fernando Ramirez Aristeguieta. “For the first time, players can come together in a structured format to compete locally, regionally, and nationally, all while building lasting connections on and off the court.”
The standard team will have 6-15 players on its roster, separated into men’s and women’s divisions on four skill levels. The players must be at least 16 years old and active members of USPA, and sometimes, free agents will be placed on local teams.
Matches will present three doubles games, and teams have to win two of the three to advance. In October, the teams will play on the city level, followed by Regional Championships in November, and the National Finals in February 2026 in Miami. Teams playing in the finals will receive travel support and media coverage, and the champions will win trophies, custom apparel, and Delta travel vouchers.
“The NPL’s USA National Team League, endorsed by the USPA, is another big step forward for the amateur padel game,” said USPA president Bill Ullman, President of the USPA. “It offers players an exciting pathway from their local clubs and courts to national, team-oriented competition.”
San Antonians can currently practice their game at two padel complexes, U-Padel Club at 14630 Judson Rd and King of Padel at 314 Nolan St. A third center, Slice Padel, will arrive at the end of 2025, incorporating food trucks and a full-service bar.