Pádel Nuestro launches offensive with a focus on customer experience, entering the UK with a Manchester store

Madrid – Murcia-based sports multinational Pádel Nuestro continues to expand its retail footprint, having opened its new flagship store in Barcelona at the end of last May. The store is a prime example of the company's strategy for physical retail. It focuses on the customer experience as the foundation of the shopping journey it aims to provide for its growing community. This approach is also evident in its newly opened Manchester store, the company's first in the UK.

Founded in 2009 in the Murcian town of Alcantarilla by the entrepreneurial trio of Isabel Cancho, José Ignacio Simón and Pascual López, Pádel Nuestro began its journey as a company specialising in the world of padel. The company remains focused on this sports segment. However, its commercial activity began to extend beyond its first store after establishing itself in the digital ecosystem as a leading platform for padel enthusiasts, launching its first offensive into the physical retail space. A decisive step for these initial offline points-of-sale was the opening of its first Madrid store in San Sebastián de los Reyes in January 2014. This opening brought the company's total to over six stores in Spain. It was the result of the first phase of a growth and expansion plan that marked another milestone in February 2016 with the announcement of its first international store in Madeira, outside of Spain. This was soon followed by new openings in Spain; Portugal; Andorra; Belgium; Italy; the Netherlands; Sweden; Chile; Paraguay and Dubai, bringing Pádel Nuestro to a total of 70 stores by the end of 2021.

With the aim of accelerating this expansion and establishing the company as a leader in the global padel market, Pádel Nuestro was acquired in August 2021 by the investment holding company Backspin Capital Investments, owned by Íñigo Colomina, founder and chief executive officer of GTAK Capital. GTAK Capital is a Spanish investment banking firm specialising in M&A transactions, capital raising and investment in high-growth companies, with current investments in companies such as Playtomic, Trainingym and La Fábrica de Camisas. The acquisition of Pádel Nuestro led to Colomina becoming the new chief executive officer of the company. Emilio Colomina, also a partner at Backspin Capital Investments and GTAK Capital, became chief operating officer. Alfredo Nicolás, a partner at Backspin, was appointed director of the Propadelgroup division, which integrated Pádel Nuestro's own product brands like Siux and Vision. Under Backspin's ownership, the newly formed Grupo Pádel Nuestro expanded its portfolio by acquiring the Madrid-based group Definetely Time2Padel in December 2021. Definetely Time2Padel owns the online commerce platforms Time2Padel and Padelmanía, as well as the Mystica brand.

After renewing its commitment to offline growth and introducing a new corporate image, the Belgian-based private equity firm Ergon Capital Partners—rebranded as Apheon in June 2023—announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Grupo Pádel Nuestro in July 2022. The transaction was carried out through a capital increase and the acquisition of shares. It was supported by new investments from Íñigo Colomina, the rest of the management team and the Spanish investment manager Inveready. This also led to a management reshuffle at Pádel Nuestro. The company was subsequently placed under the direction of Rafael Martínez-Avial, with Íñigo Colomina remaining as executive chairman.

In the latest update on the company's ownership, a business restructuring was reported in April 2024. This did not involve any change in the shareholdings of its investment partners, among whom it was confirmed that none of the three original founders remained after Apheon's entry. The restructuring involved the dissolution of the Pádel Nuestro company and the establishment of Grupo Pádel XXI as the new main company of the group. Grupo Pádel XXI is 100 percent owned by Topco Padel, chaired by Íñigo Colomina with Pablo Álvarez as vice president, representing Apheon.

Focus on the customer experience

With Sascha Beyer as chief executive officer since March 2024, the company has now reached a point where, this past May 2026, it opened its new flagship store in Barcelona. The 300 square metre, two-storey establishment is located at 257 Rosselló street in the city. The opening was attended by figures such as Agustin Tapia, the world's number one padel player, and Felipe Ródenas, president of the Catalan Padel Federation. More than 300 sports enthusiasts were also in attendance.

The opening is part of Pádel Nuestro's expansion plan, a roadmap through which the Spanish company aims to continue growing its presence both in Spain and in various strategic international markets. The Barcelona opening is more than just another store; it reveals the company's strategy focused on the customer experience, which aims to underpin its global offensive in physical retail. The company emphasises that this approach will not only strengthen Pádel Nuestro's physical retail network but also increase its reach and forge closer connections with padel enthusiasts through a shopping experience tailored to the new demands of sports lovers.

To this end, the store has been designed as a space that combines the display of Pádel Nuestro's product range with experiential services for an enriched and immersive shopping experience. This serves as an archetype of the experience the firm is replicating across its various points-of-sale. These services include expert advice from store staff and a range of different experiences and activations specifically aimed at the padel-playing community. The store's design is adaptable, allowing it to host everything from product presentations to meetings with professional players and various other events. These are expected to be launched throughout the year by the sector's leading brands.

“Barcelona is a city with a great passion for racket sports, and for Pádel Nuestro it was essential to be close to that community,” says María Victoria Castillo, general manager of Pádel Nuestro, in a statement provided by the sports company. She adds that with this commitment, “with this flagship we take another step forward in our commitment to the growth of padel. We are not just opening a store, but a space where players can find the best advice, discover the latest innovations and enjoy an experience that goes beyond the purchase.”

UK entry via Manchester

Following the Barcelona opening, the Pádel Nuestro chain now has 29 operational stores in Spain. This is part of a retail network that now totals 68 stores worldwide—including both company-owned and franchised locations—following the opening of the company's new Manchester store earlier this July. This opening marks another milestone for the company, as it is the first Pádel Nuestro store to operate in the UK.

Now present in 18 countries across different regions of the world after adding this new market, specifically the United Arab Emirates; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; Egypt; Spain; France; the UK; Italy; Morocco; Mexico; Panama; Peru; Portugal; Serbia; Venezuela and South Africa, the store is located in Cheetham Hill. It is situated in a retail park north of Manchester's city centre, near the Manchester Fort shopping centre. At this location, under the Pádel Nuestro brand, the company has opened what is now the largest specialist padel store in the city, offering the same experiential shopping journey it aims to provide across all its points-of-sale.

“Padel in Manchester, and in the UK as a whole, is still in its very early stages compared to countries like Spain, but the growth is evident,” the Spanish company notes. “More courts are opening, more people are trying the sport, and clubs are starting to see real demand.” In this context, “although the UK still has some way to go in terms of facilities, training, competitions and general visibility,” and “compared to other parts of Europe, this very difference” with respect to other European countries “is what opens up a huge opportunity” for Pádel Nuestro. They highlight that Manchester, “as a natural sporting city, has everything it takes to become one of the strongest regions for British padel.”

Furthermore, with particular regard to the company, the opening, like the one in Barcelona, should be seen as part of “Pádel Nuestro's expansion plan, which continues to grow its presence both in Spain and in international markets.” This is an offensive for which “the company seeks to strengthen a retail network that combines physical reach, technical specialisation, and a shopping experience adapted to the new demands of sports consumers.”