Interview with José Luis Sanz from Babolat

Today on Padelist.net, we’re thrilled to welcome one of the most influential figures in the world of padel — José Luis Sanz, the Head of Padel at Babolat. With a deep passion for the sport and years of experience driving innovation at one of the most iconic brands in racket sports, José Luis shares his journey, insights on the industry, and a look into the future of padel.

 

Can you tell us about your personal journey — how did you get involved in the world of padel?

I’ve worked in the sports industry throughout my career. While my original sport is cycling (I raced at a high amateur level, though I didn’t turn professional), I’ve been playing padel since the late ’90s.
Two years ago, Babolat was looking for someone with broad experience across international sports brands to continue developing their padel business. Having worked with companies like Cannondale, Nike, and Rip Curl, I was a good fit—and we found each other at just the right time, so The Perfect Match happened.
Although Babolat’s global headquarters are in Lyon, the padel division is based in Madrid. This is no accident—we want to stay close to where the sport is thriving. There’s no better place today than a padel club in Madrid, like La Masó.

 

What were some key moments that led you to your current role at Babolat?

As mentioned, Babolat needed someone with international strategic and business development experience—and my passion for padel made the transition natural. One of the biggest motivators for me was the opportunity to help professionalize the sport and better understand the unique profiles of players across different markets.

 

What does a typical day look like for you as Head of Padel at Babolat?

That’s a good question—because there’s really no “typical” day in padel. The sport is still in a chaordic (chaotic + ordered) phase where you have to expect the unexpected.
Beyond our regular workload, we constantly receive new proposals: tournaments, club partnerships, player opportunities. That keeps us on our toes and forces us to think creatively and stay agile. We also keep a close eye on what’s happening globally, because the sport’s expansion is unstoppable—and as a leading brand, Babolat needs to support the community at every level.
Of course, we try to play padel when we can squeeze it in!

 

Babolat is a historic brand in tennis. What led the company to invest in padel?

Yes, Babolat is a historic and leading tennis brand—this year we’re celebrating 150 years of passion for the sport. But our ambition goes beyond tennis.
We want to be the experts and leading brand in racquet sports—which includes tennis, padel, badminton, and pickleball. Our goal is to be recognized by players everywhere as the racquet expert.

 

What are Babolat’s current priorities or strategies in padel?

Our strategy is very clear—and we don’t hide it from our competitors. Babolat is a premium brand with a premium positioning. We aim to help players enjoy and discover padel through innovation, performance, quality, and style.
From grassroots efforts to phygital (physical + digital) stores, our goal is to bring value to the entire padel community and keep growing it.

 

How do you approach innovation in padel equipment—from rackets to footwear?

We have a fantastic team of engineers focused on R&D and innovation. They’re constantly experimenting with new materials and technologies.
A year ago, we also opened the Babolat Padel Studio in Barcelona—a lab-like space entirely dedicated to developing and testing padel equipment.
Innovation is in Babolat’s DNA. While the padel market demands constant new product launches, we make sure our releases are meaningful—not just following trends for the sake of it.

 

Can you present the latest padel products from Babolat?

In 2025, we’ve renewed our Air pilar—our most manoeuvrable racket. We’ve increased the sweet spot, making it ideal for agile players who move quickly and change direction often. It’s also the lightest racket in our lineup.
We’re also launching the BL002, a commercial racket developed in partnership with Lamborghini. It’s a limited edition available in two colourways, combining Babolat and Lamborghini technologies. Designed for demanding players, the BL002 delivers Power on Demand: maximum power with maximum comfort.

 

How closely do you work with professional players to design and test new gear?

Player feedback is essential. They’re involved throughout the product development cycle—from testing prototypes to contributing to design decisions.
That said, we also rely heavily on feedback from non-professional players through focus groups. Pros have very specific needs, but the average player has different expectations—both are valuable.

 

Babolat sponsors several professional players. Does this visibility help your brand?

Absolutely. Visibility in major tournaments helps build brand awareness and credibility.
However, we must also remember that most padel players around the world play for fun, not competition. They’ve never entered an official tournament. So we always try to balance our focus between the elite and the everyday player.

 

What are the main differences between padel’s development in Spain and in other countries?

The main difference is the speed of development. In Spain, it took decades to reach the level we see today. In other countries, growth is much faster—sometimes too fast.
Countries like Sweden taught us the importance of sustainable growth. In Italy, for example, the sport was first embraced by former footballers, which helped generate buzz. But over time, the player base matures, and people stick with the sport for its social and fun aspects.
Also, in Spain, many new residential buildings include padel courts—this accessibility has helped the sport reach a much broader audience.

 

What are the biggest challenges padel faces globally right now?

Consistency. It’s normal for a fast-growing sport to be somewhat chaotic, but we all need to ensure the chaos leads somewhere meaningful. Brands, players, and tournament organizers need to align more closely.

 

Do you think padel will become an Olympic sport soon?

It might take longer than some hope. We still need broader global reach to meet the criteria of the International Olympic Committee. The FIP is doing excellent work, but we need to keep pushing for consistency and stability.
2032 isn’t far off—and I believe we’ll see padel in the Olympics by then.

 

How do you see the sport evolving in the next 5–10 years?

There are two main perspectives:
1. Pro-level: We’ll see more country-based tournaments and possibly new surfaces. There’s also potential for AI to enhance the player experience.
2. Amateur-level: There’s a lot of work ahead to make the sport accessible in more countries. One key innovation will be noise-reducing padel courts, which will make it easier to build new clubs in urban areas.

 

Which regions or countries are the next big growth markets for padel?

Everyone is talking about the USA and UK, and rightfully so. But we shouldn’t overlook markets like Germany and Asia where padel start to give signs of development.

 

How important is the amateur community versus the professional scene for Babolat?

The amateur community is crucial. That’s why we launched the campaign “La Vida Padel”—it reflects how we see the sport: not just as performance-driven, but also as something fun and social.
Everything we do aims to inspire people to enjoy and discover La Vida Padel.

 

Are you seeing any interesting trends in player behavior or preferences?

Yes. Players are becoming more educated and selective. It’s no longer just about smashing the ball as hard as possible.
While everyone dreams of playing like Lebrón or Coki Nieto, most players now understand their own needs better and choose products that truly suit their style and level.

 

What role do digital platforms and social media play in growing padel?

They play a key role—especially since the sport is still new in many regions. Digital platforms offer fast visibility, help build community and reach new players.
Social media is one of the most powerful tools we must grow the game globally.

 

A last word to conclude this interview for the readers of Padelist.net ?

Well, if you want to keep updated in padel news follow padelist.net and make sure you play padel as much as you can. Your life will improve…

 

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