Latest news with #DavidGutstadt
Fast Company
7 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Tennis star Andre Agassi leads $20 million investment in Ballers, a multisport members' club
Ballers, a social multisport venue and members' club, just received a $20 million Series A investment led by tennis star Andre Agassi ahead of its Philadelphia flagship opening in July. With the location, Ballers aims to combine competition with culture. It will include courts where members can play pickleball, squash, and padel. There will also be a golf practice area with real sand traps and a large turf field where members can play soccer. 'These are all social sports,' cofounder David Gutstadt tells Fast Company. 'They're cool, relevant, elevated, but most importantly social.' Courting crosscourt players Pickleball, specifically, is America's fastest growing sport; participation has increased by 311% in the last three years, according to data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). But almost half of racket sports players are 'crosscourt consumers,' meaning they enjoy playing more than one of these sports, according to research by RacquetX. And racket sports as a whole are in a growth phase, with five out of seven increasing their year-over-year participation totals, according to SFIA. By creating a dedicated space for these sports, Gutstadt says he hopes to 'bring country club sports to the city.' 'As consumers seek richer social interactions, competition has evolved from pastime to platform,' Lloyd Danzig, a managing partner at Sharp Alpha, a firm that co-led the investment, wrote to Fast Company. More locations on the horizon Founders Gutstadt and Amanda Potter say that Ballers is the first of its kind: a multisport venue with a focus on hospitality and creating a culture. Outside of just offering sports practice and competition areas, the Ballers space also includes a full bar, a restaurant, and social activations like DJs or art installation pop-ups. The Ballers space has been constructed from the shell of an old power plant, giving the club a unique but 'grand and majestic' look, Potter says. Throughout the rest of 2025 and 2026, expect to see Ballers locations pop up in Boston, Downtown Los Angeles, and Miami. Ballers has amassed a group of celebrity and athlete investors that represent the venue's array of sports offerings. These investors include tennis stars Agassi, Kim Clijsters, and Sloane Stephens; pickleballer Connor Garnett; and soccer player/padel aficionado Maarten Paes. As lifelong tennis lovers, Gutstadt and Potter told Fast Company that working with Agassi was a 'dream come true.' Agassi was the 'obvious first pick' to represent Ballers, says Potter, because he represents a shift in racket sports' fashion and culture. 'Andre Agassi came into a sport that was pretty buttoned up and proper—you know, white collar shirts and Wimbledon mentality,' Potter says. 'He came in with a bit of an attitude and shook things up. And that's what we want for Ballers.'
Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Ballers — an outdoor pickleball and padel complex with a bar and café — is coming to the Seaport this summer
Why Boston? 'It's an iconic sports city,' says founder and CEO David Gutstadt. Can't argue with that. The idea is to connect people through sports and social experiences via the fast-growing racquet sports industry, he says. 'We want to bring people together around the love of sports in an urban setting.' Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up With top-of-the-line courts and upscale amenities, Ballers is looking to create a private club experience in the city, but with no membership required. (Well, unless you want one; two-tiered monthly memberships will be offered that include free open play, advanced booking ability, and discounts on court time, lessons, food and beverage, and retail merch.) Advertisement The Boston venue will offer three padel courts — the first ones in Boston — designed for year-round play, and five pickleball courts. (The pickleball courts will transform into an ice rink with a synthetic surface in winter.) The pickleball- or padel- curious are welcome; Ballers will offer lessons for both sports, along with open play, meaning you can join a group on a court. Originating in Mexico, padel is played on a court enclosed by glass walls. Typically played in doubles, using a racquet and a tennis ball, it's is a fast-paced game. 'Padel is harder to master than pickleball,' says Gutstadt, a former college tennis player who is now 'obsessed' with padel. Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. According to the International Padel Federation, padel is now played by around 25 million people across the globe, and is hugely popular in Mexico, Argentina, and Spain. FIP estimates there are courts in more than 90 countries. And the pickleball boom hasn't started to sour. 'Young people are discovering the sport. Kids are starting to play in schools — you've got a brand-new wave of people coming into the sport,' Gutstadt says. According to the Post-play eating and drinking will be part of the scene, of course. When Ballers opens in July, beverages will be available, including beer, wine, and hard seltzers. About a month later, they'll open an outdoor café (under a shaded pergola) in partnership with James Beard Award semi-finalist chef Mitch Prensky of Supper Philly, L'Ecole, and Lutece. What will they serve? 'Something local,' Gutstadt says. Advertisement The cost to play each sport will range from $15 to $30 per hour. 45 Pier 4 Blvd., Boston; . Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at
