CourtBrain: Connecting Players, Clubs and the Future of Padel

Meet Hans Villanueva, CEO & Co-Founder of CourtBrain

Some companies build products.

Others solve problems that millions of people experience every day.

That is exactly what inspired Hans Villanueva, CEO & Co-Founder of CourtBrain.

As a passionate racket sports player, Hans kept asking himself one simple question:

Why is finding a place to play still so complicated?

That question became the foundation of CourtBrain, a platform designed to make discovering courts, clubs, matches and events as simple as searching once.

Today, CourtBrain is helping create a more connected future for racket sports.

One search. Endless possibilities.

The idea behind CourtBrain started with a frustration familiar to almost every padel player.

Finding a game often means jumping between different booking platforms, club websites, WhatsApp groups and social media pages.

At the same time, clubs invest heavily in creating amazing experiences, yet many remain limited by the visibility of their own booking systems.

Hans saw an opportunity.

Not to replace existing platforms.

But to connect them.

CourtBrain acts as a neutral discovery layer, allowing players to search across multiple clubs and booking systems while helping clubs reach new audiences without changing the tools they already use.

Making racket sports more accessible

CourtBrain has one clear mission:

To make racket sports more open, visible and accessible.

Players can discover where to play more easily.

Clubs gain greater visibility.

And the entire ecosystem becomes stronger through better connections rather than greater fragmentation.

The insight that changed everything

The first signs appeared while Hans was living in Sweden.

As more booking systems entered the racket sports market, he realised that growth was creating an unexpected challenge: fragmentation.

But the real turning point came after moving to Marbella.

Finding an available court often meant checking four or five different apps and websites.

The problem wasn't a lack of courts.

Nor a lack of players.

It was simply that discovering opportunities had become unnecessarily complicated.

That's when CourtBrain was born.

Falling in love with padel

Hans's relationship with padel goes back much further than most people might expect.

His first encounter with the sport happened in 1993, during a family holiday in Blanes, near Barcelona.

At just twelve years old, and already a keen tennis player, he noticed one of the few padel courts that existed at the time.

Years later, when padel began growing in Sweden, he immediately recognised the sport.

After stepping onto the court himself, he quickly understood why so many players become addicted.

Padel combines the technical elements of tennis with an even stronger social dimension.

That unique balance of competition, accessibility and community has kept him playing ever since.

Why the UK is one of Europe's most exciting padel markets

According to Hans, the UK's rapid growth comes down to one simple fact:

Padel is an outstanding product.

It's easy to learn.

Fun from the very first session.

Suitable for every level.

And naturally social.

He also believes the arrival of ambitious operators such as Rocket Padel has helped redefine what clubs can become.

Not simply places to play.

But lifestyle destinations where people meet, train, work and build communities.

Although the UK entered the padel market later than Spain, Sweden or Italy, Hans believes that delay could become an advantage.

The country now has the opportunity to build a stronger, smarter and more connected ecosystem from the very beginning.

The next evolution of padel

Hans is convinced padel is no passing trend.

Over the next five years, Britain will see more clubs, stronger brands, larger communities and increasingly sophisticated player experiences.

But success won't simply depend on building more courts.

It will depend on building lasting relationships.

The clubs that invest in community, memberships, player activation and digital innovation today will become tomorrow's leaders.

That's precisely where CourtBrain believes it can make the biggest difference.

Helping clubs become easier to discover.

Helping players find where they belong.

Why London Padel Week

For Hans, joining London Padel Week was an obvious decision.

The festival brings together everyone contributing to the future of the sport—players, clubs, founders, brands and innovators.

That perfectly reflects CourtBrain's own mission.

Creating a more open, connected and visible padel ecosystem.

Because growing the game means looking beyond individual clubs or individual platforms.

It means connecting the entire community.

One word defines padel

When asked to describe padel in a single word, Hans doesn't hesitate.

Connection.

Connection between players.

Between clubs.

Between cities.

Between communities.

And ultimately, that's exactly what CourtBrain is building every day.