Is Nike about to enter padel? Here's what happened at Drake's party

The padel world is buzzing. At a private event hosted by Drake and his brand NOCTA, something appeared that has the entire sport talking: the very first Nike padel rackets. Photos and videos from the party, shared by accounts including Instagram's @el4set, show three distinct Nike rackets.

Three models: Command, Attack and Balance

Nike showed off three clearly different rackets, all aimed at the premium segment:

• Nike Command – featuring a double-perforated exterior, a carbon finish resembling 16K, an asymmetrical core, and a sand-textured surface.
• Nike Attack – an aggressive, geometric shape with a similar perforation pattern and a clearly offensive focus.
• Nike Balance – the most classic of the three, with 12K carbon, a sandy texture, and a shape built to balance control and power.

Who was there?

The party, known as NOCTA Manor, drew an impressive crowd. Alongside Drake himself were padel stars Juan Lebrón and Agustín Tapia, as well as NBA stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. A small padel tournament was even held, with Drake teaming up with Devin Booker as his doubles partner.

Not an official product yet, but a clear signal

Important to note: this was not an official launch. Nike is reportedly working towards an official entry into the padel market in 2027, and is said to want world number one Agustín Tapia as its ambassador. However, Tapia remains under contract with racket brand NOX until the end of 2028, which is why, according to industry sources, a three-way arrangement is being discussed in which he would wear Nike clothing while keeping his NOX racket.

Tapia himself has previously said it would be a dream to one day play with the Swoosh: “It would be a dream come true for me. So, fingers crossed.”

What does this mean for padel?

Whether Nike will actually start selling rackets isn't a hundred percent certain yet, but the interest from one of the biggest sports brands in the world is a strong signal: padel has definitively broken through as a global sport to be taken seriously. We'll of course keep a close eye on developments and keep you posted as soon as there's more news.