REX Roundtables Launches Roundtables for Racquet Sports as Pickleball, Padel and Tennis Reshape the Club Industry
Posted: September 15, 2026 in Suppliers
Roundtables For Executives
NEW YORK, N.Y. – REX Roundtables, the peer advisory organization that has served club and fitness industry executives for 37 years, announces the formation of Roundtables for Racquet Sports, a peer group built specifically for the leaders of tennis, padel, pickleball and multi-sport racquet facilities. The inaugural in-person roundtable is scheduled for mid-December in Orlando, and applications are now open at rexroundtables.com/apply-racquet.
The launch responds to explosive growth across racquet sports. Pickleball participation is up 172% over three years, with 24.3 million Americans playing in 2025. Padel courts have increased 250% since 2022 and is now the fastest growing sport in America with over 1.0 million participants. Tennis remains the global core of the industry, with nearly 27 million U.S. players and 120 million worldwide. Today, more than 75% of facilities offer multiple racquet sports, forcing every club leader to determine how tennis, padel, pickleball, and other racquet sports coexist under one roof — quickly, and usually without an established playbook.
“The racquet sports industry is exploding, and that growth is forcing fast decisions on revenue, programming, membership, capital, staffing, and new competition,” said Brian Dillman, REX Chair of Roundtables for Racquet Sports. “REX has spent 37 years proving that a confidential room of non-competing peers is the fastest way to turn a moment like this into a repeatable advantage instead of a scramble. Racquet sports leaders deserve that same room.”
REX Roundtables’ peer model has more than 350 members and a retention rate above 90%. Member clubs that have added new segments to their offerings are already reporting 72% EBITDA growth and 217% dues growth. Roundtables for Racquet Sports extends that model to the operators, directors, and owners at the center of the industry’s multi-sport shift.
REX introduced the new roundtable during a public open call on July 28, 2026, which drew strong attendance. A recording of the session is available at youtube.com/watch?v=l-hE50tofYM.
Program Details:
- First in-person roundtable: Mid-December;
- Location: To be announced; the facility of one of the roundtable’s founding members will be selected as the first host site;
- Chair: Brian Dillman (linkedin.com/in/briandillman);
- Membership: Capped at 12 members for the inaugural roundtable; five founding members have already committed;
- Dues: $799 per month plus expenses. Members who join by the October 2026 roundtable receive a founding rate of $599 per month for the first year;
- Apply: rexroundtables.com/apply-racquet.
Club owners, general managers, and racquet sports directors interested in joining, or in having a director join on their behalf, are encouraged to apply before the October roundtable to secure one of the remaining founding seats.
