Padel attraction

Liljekvist: We aim to partner with different lifestyle brands and build up our social aspect to ensure we aren’t fully reliant on padel alone.

THE rise of padel in Malaysia reflects a broader trend of the sport’s growing popularity across South-East Asia.

Originating in Mexico during the 1960s, padel has rapidly become one of the world’s fastest-growing games, thanks to its accessible nature and unique blend of tennis and squash.

Played in doubles on a glass-walled court, it features perforated racquets and less-pressurised tennis balls, allowing for strategic wall bounces during matches.

In Malaysia, this surge is epitomised by the establishment of Ascaro Padel and Social Club, an urban lifestyle brand founded in Stockholm, Sweden.

Ascaro marked its first international expansion with a location at 1 Utama shopping mall in 2023.

Ascaro Malaysia managing director and partner Daniel Liljekvist tells StarBiz 7 that the idea for a padel club in Malaysia came about after he witnessed the sport’s rapid rise abroad.

“I travelled back and forth to Sweden almost every other month and saw how popular padel had become – everyone was playing it. But when I returned to Malaysia hoping to play, there was nothing,” he says.

At the time, he knew of Malaysians’ strong affinity for racquet sports like badminton. He noticed that padel was gaining traction in neighbouring countries.

Drawn by Ascaro’s innovative approach, which blends a stylish, social club atmosphere with the sport, he met with the company and proposed bringing the concept to Malaysia.

“They immediately loved the idea,” he recalls.

Liljekvist, together with Ascaro founder Oscar Arrsjö and partners Nicholas Caoile and Stan Zabolotsky, began working to introduce the brand locally.

“We aimed to create a country club-like space that was more inclusive and accessible – a place where people could enjoy a drink or coffee, even if they weren’t playing padel. Over time, being in that environment might spark their interest in trying the sport.”

The location in 1 Utama was a natural choice for the brand’s flagship outpost in Malaysia, given the variety of sports activities already available at the mall.

However, convincing local businesses to embrace padel, a relatively unknown sport at the time, presented a challenge.

“To our surprise, the initial uptake exceeded our expectations. Within the first few months, we achieved a 20% occupancy rate, and within a few more months, we reached 50%, all while operating for 16 hours a day,” Liljekvist explains.

The new venue reportedly turned a profit in its first year, with much of the brand’s success attributed to word-of-mouth promotion among local padel players, who eagerly introduced their friends to the sport through the club.

Since its launch, several padel court facilities have emerged across the country.

However, padel has yet to match the explosive growth of another racquet sport.

“What I didn’t anticipate was the pickleball craze that began about six months after we started. It gained rapid popularity due to its simplicity and the minimal investment required,” he notes.

Despite this, Liljekvist views pickleball’s widespread appeal as a positive for padel, as their similarities make it likely for players to take up both or eventually transition to padel.

“With pickleball, there’s often limited development beyond a certain point, and it becomes relatively easy. In contrast, padel offers a much more engaging learning curve,” he adds.

To set itself apart, Ascaro positions itself as more than just a sports venue, focusing on fostering a vibrant community and lifestyle around padel. Alongside its courts, the club offers a stylish dining and lounging area and its own line of luxury padel apparel.

Future plans include partnerships with lifestyle hospitality brand Karls Group, and amenities like a swim-up pool bar.

The club also hosts diverse events, such as The Goodfest, which combines pilates, yoga and wellness activities. In addition, it hosts prestigious tournaments organised by padel governing bodies like the International Padel Federation.

Ascaro’s strategy emphasises collaboration with lifestyle brands to attract new audiences and create multifaceted experiences. “If the market becomes saturated with padel courts, we’ll still provide value as a space where people want to connect and socialise,” says Liljekvist.

With ambitious expansion goals, the brand aims to establish 10 clubs across South-East Asia in cities like Manila, Jakarta and Bangkok. The vision is to create an international network where members can play in various cities, building connections within a growing community.

While the original Ascaro club in Stockholm follows a membership-based model, the company is considering a loyalty programme to better suit the local market.

“We want to be more inclusive and ensure that customers are rewarded even if they don’t have a membership,” he explains.

As padel gains global popularity, Liljekvist is confident the sport will continue to grow.

The buzz is increasing, with well-known athletes – from footballers to Formula One racers – becoming regular players on the padel court.

Famous figures, including legendary footballer Claude Makélélé and members of British band Coldplay, have even visited Ascaro’s flagship in Malaysia for a game.

While the brand plans to expand its lifestyle and social offerings, the founders remain committed to keeping padel at the core of their business.

“For us, padel will always be the foundation,” Liljekvist says.