FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — The Pro Padel League (PPL) announced the next professional team will be located in Northwest Arkansas, the first team in this region of the country.
Padel is similar to pickleball and racquetball in that there are walls around the court that players can hit the ball against. Padel is a variant of tennis that is typically played in doubles.
Matrix Club purchased the franchise team, owned by Barbara Hudson, Shannon Hudson and Johan Den Toom, who founded the Padel and racquet sports facility in 2021 located in Lowell.
Matrix is the sixth PPL franchise and the first in the Midwest region of the country. The other locations are Cancun, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Toronto and Las Vegas.
According to the announcement from PPL, the founders of Matrixmet while playing tennis at the University of Arkansas in 2013.
“As a business owner, I am proud to be a part of the ground-breaking movement of professional Padel in North America. Acquiring one of the first teams in the Pro Padel League is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be at the forefront of this exciting sport and help shape its future,” said Shannon Hudson, an owner of Matrix Padel.
“I am eager to take on the challenge and bring the PPL to new heights in North America and eventually the rest of the world!”
The first season of the PPL will begin in the Spring of 2023, concluding with a championship. During the first season, each team will have two men and two women players and will follow the international scoring format, PPL said.
“Bringing the excitement and passion of Padel to North America is a thrilling opportunity to be a part of the growth of a fast-paced and dynamic sport,” Johan Den Toom said.
“Padel is capturing the hearts of athletes and fans alike. I am honored to be a part of this journey.”
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