British sports communications entrepreneur Ben Nichols is moving his family to Mount Pleasant with a bet on Charleston: that the Lowcountry could become one of the next major markets for padel.
“I could have based myself anywhere in the U.S. Instead, my family and I chose Mount Pleasant because I believe the Lowcountry has all the ingredients that made padel explode elsewhere,” he said. “Charleston has a healthy, active population, very outdoorsy people, a strong racquet sports culture, and a community that values human connection, real connection.”
Padel, a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash, has grown rapidly around the world, attracting an estimated 35 million players and high-profile celebrities including David Beckham, Eva Longoria and comedian Andrew Schulz.
Nichols is the founder of Padel22, a communications agency dedicated exclusively to the sport. He has worked to introduce padel to broader audiences through coverage in Forbes, the Financial Times, The New York Times, CNN International and the BBC.
His career in sports media and communications has also included work in Formula One and communications counsel for World Anti-Doping Agency leadership during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Now, Nichols sees Charleston as primed for padel’s next stage of growth.
“As for Charleston, it might sound an unlikely place to build a global sporting movement, but that's exactly why I’m moving here,” Nichols said. “It’s a very big sport in South Florida, but I wanted to come somewhere where I could get in at the ground level, in an area where I think it’s going to be big.”
Karen Yeomans
11.10.25_ANGLO AMERICAN PADEL CUP
11.10.25_ANGLO AMERICAN PADEL CUP
Padel is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court smaller than a tennis court. Unlike tennis, the surrounding glass walls are part of the game, allowing players to return balls after they rebound off the walls. The sport is generally considered easy for beginners to pick up while still offering a highly competitive game for experienced players.
Nichols believes that accessibility will ultimately determine how far padel can grow in the United States.
“Padel’s been doing what pickleball’s been doing in North America for the last four or five years,” he said. “Every country padel goes to, it has phenomenal success in terms of participation. It’s a very addictive sport to play.”
He believes the next major step will come when padel becomes available to a broader segment of the public.
“The only way it’s going to go mainstream is when it becomes something that everyone can access,” he said. “Education and awareness of the sport needs to be up. We need to see the private sector be successful, but the bigger opportunity is actually: How do you build this out to become a publicly accessible sport?”
Nichols said the long-term opportunity will depend partially on whether local governments and public agencies recognize the demand for the sport and invest in public access.
“One thing that needs to happen is you need public courts,” he said. “I would absolutely love a conversation to see how we can get these courts out there for more people.”