A new racket sport development is opening on Milwaukee’s far northwest side – and it’s not pickleball.
Epic Padel Inc. will open its first Milwaukee padel club at the end of August at 12320 W. Brown Deer Road.
It will feature eight indoor padel courts, a warmup area, locker rooms, and showers, as well as a social lounge, co-working spaces, and a grab-and-go café, according to the Aug. 6 announcement.
Padel resembles a mashup of pickleball and squash.
Pickleball uses a flat composite paddle and a perforated plastic ball on an open badminton-sized court.
Padel uses a thicker perforated racket and a low-pressure tennis ball on an enclosed glass-and-mesh court – where walls are in play, according to ltapadel.org/uk.
“Pickleball can easier for beginners due to its slower pace,” the website says, “while padel offers more dynamic rallies using walls. However, both sports are accessible and easy to pick up.”
“Padel suits players who enjoy fast-paced, social doubles play, while pickleball is more flexible and can be played in both singles and doubles formats,” it says.
Arlington, Virginia-based Epic Padel in February received a special use permit from the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals to operate a padel club in part of the Brown Deer Road light industrial building.
“Our goal has never been just to build courts,” said Epic Padel CEO Hala Sarkis. “We’re building communities.”
“Every market we enter is selected thoughtfully because we believe padel has the power to bring people together, improve lives, and create meaningful connections,” Sarkis said, in a statement.
Milwaukee’s first padel club, Padel MKE, opened in 2025 at 737 W. Cleveland Ave., according to city zoning records.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Bluesky, X and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A large racket sport club is opening in Milwaukee. It’s not pickleball
Reporting by Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
