Adam Ross, host of Florida Tennis, spoke with Robyn Duda, co-founder and CEO of RacquetX, about the growth of racquet sports and how RacquetX keeps developing each year. The 2026 event will take place March 13–15 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. The dates line up with the start of the Miami Open, which helps place RacquetX right in the middle of Florida’s busy spring tennis season. As RacquetX enters its third year, Ross and Duda talked about its growth, industry involvement, and the overall goal of the event.
When asked to explain RacquetX to someone who has never been before, Duda kept it simple. “Oh, it’s like Disneyland for racquet lovers.”
She then shared the main idea behind the event. “We are trying to be the home court for racquet sports.” With that, she made it clear that RacquetX is more than just a trade show. It’s a place where fans, brands, coaches, and players from all areas of racquet sports can come together.
When asking Duda on her passion for RacquetX she notes, “I’m a connector, events are my livelihood. I love seeing everyone come back together. And I feel like it’s becoming a homecoming for a lot of folks.”
She also pointed to the crossover nature of today’s racquet sports participants. “A lot of people who have racquets in one hand tend to have a paddle of some other type in their other hand.” That observation reflects the relationship between enthusiasts of tennis, pickleball, padel, squash, and emerging racquet disciplines.
That business case took shape when industry leaders recognized a structural gap. “They didn’t really see that there was anything out there across all racquet sports.” The absence of a unified B2B and consumer-facing platform across racquet sports created the opening RacquetX would later fill.
Launching a new event carried inherent uncertainty. “You build these things, you have no idea if people are going to come or not.”
Early turnout and reception shifted that uncertainty. “That’s what was really amazing.” As RacquetX scales, Duda emphasized the importance of maintaining authenticity. “We’re trying to maintain an authentic, personal brand that still feels like home.”
Ross then steered the discussion toward the broader growth across racquet sports. Participation trends, facility development, and brand investment have accelerated over recent years.
“Things started growing during covid when you were able to be contactless outside playing.” The pandemic reshaped recreational habits, driving renewed interest in accessible, outdoor-friendly activities.
Pickleball’s expansion became a defining example. “That’s when every household became pickleball fanatics.” Tennis participation experienced renewed engagement as well. “People reengaged with tennis lessons, cause you were able to be outside.”
Padel’s global surge added another layer. “Padel is the fastest growing sport outside of the USA, and that’s starting to come here.”
RacquetX mirrors that inclusivity by design. “It’s a festival model.” Rather than relying solely on traditional conference structures, RacquetX integrates education and participation.
Duda described the layout philosophy. “It’s building courts and programming those courts as though they’re conference rooms.” The design recognizes that learning within sport often occurs through experience and observation.
“Your learning happens not just in a classroom, it happens when you’re playing as well.”
That structure resonated with brands across the industry. “The brands were just like, we’re going to do this.” Emerging companies recognized opportunity for exposure and direct engagement.
“We would love to get in front of everyday players.”
Unity across racquet sports remains another defining principle. “Rising tides lift all ships.” Duda expanded on the concept. “There’s enough room for everyone to be successful here.”
“Supporting each other… makes a lot more sense.”
One of RacquetX’s strongest growth components has been the Club Summit. “We launched the club summit, and we had almost two hundred clubs come.” Demand for deeper engagement led to expansion beyond the flagship event.
“Let’s take this baby on the road.”
The RacquetX City Series introduced smaller gatherings designed to strengthen regional relationships. “There’s no better way to build the big event, than being in the field.”
By the close of Ross’s conversation with Duda, the themes were consistent: accessibility, connection, collaboration, and sustained industry momentum. RacquetX positions itself as a shared platform for the racquet sports world — one designed to reflect how the industry is expanding and where it continues to head. Fort Lauderdale will host the next chapter.
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By Assistant Editor Alex Binstok. Photo credits: RacquetX.