American tennis player Frances Tiafoe has invested in the New York Atlantics of the Pro Padel League and joined as a strategic advisor. Tiafoe wrote a lead check into a funding round, getting a mid-single-digits ownership stake in the team. He is the first active professional tennis player to partner with a professional padel franchise.
Padel, a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash, has gained traction outside of the U.S. Tiafoe first played the sport this past spring while on tour in Europe and took an immediate liking to it.
“You’ve got to really be agile and move. … You’ve got to have strategy and tactics, playing off walls,” Tiafoe said. “And it’s more fun to watch, especially if you’re a younger guy, as compared to other sports like pickleball, where it’s not really that fun to watch.”
Tiafoe is not the only tennis star getting in on padel, though previous investors have all been former players. Earlier this year, former Grand Slam champion Andy Murray invested in Game4Padel, a startup growing the game in the United Kingdom. American tennis legend Andre Agassi joined a $20 million Series A investment in Ballers, a members club and multi-sport venue that includes padel.
FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes, who is also invested in Ballers, is another notable athlete investor in this New York Atlantics funding round. The franchise didn’t specify how much was raised. It said the round was strategic in nature to bring in key stakeholders to the cap table.
“Who are the people behind it? Not only are they good businesspeople, but are they good people?” Tiafoe said of how he approaches investing. “And then is it something I’m passionate about, and do they have the same amount of passion for it?”
The Pro Padel League was founded in 2023 and consists of 10 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its 2025 season consists of three regular season events in Miami, San Sebastian and Guadalajara, an All-Star event in the Hamptons, and The City’s Cup in New York.
“I see it becoming a really dope sport, man,” Tiafoe said. “You see how they’re packing arenas outside the states. … If we can get [10,000 to 15,000 fans] into arenas to watch these guys just like in Europe, then it becomes like an actual event to go to, whether you’re a fan of tennis or not… just a good spectator event, and it’s fun, and you can enjoy yourself with drinks and hang out.”
