Is there padel in Rhode Island?

Yes. In 2024 the town of Westerly opened the country's first municipal padel courts on its southwestern coast, and in 2026 Newport Pickleball Club in Middletown is adding two outdoor courts — Newport County's first. Rhode Island will soon have padel on both ends of the state.

Where can I play padel near Newport?

Newport Pickleball Club in Middletown, just minutes from downtown Newport, is building Aquidneck Island's first padel courts, opening in 2026. Until they are live, the nearest established option is Westerly's public courts, roughly 45 minutes southwest.

Does Newport Pickleball Club have padel courts?

Two outdoor padel courts are under development on the club's 2.75-acre Middletown campus and are scheduled to open in 2026. They join the club's nine indoor pickleball courts and on-site kitchen and bar — padel is its first racquet sport beyond pickleball.

Are there public padel courts in Rhode Island?

Yes. Westerly's municipal courts, funded by the Royce Family Fund, are open to the public on a seasonal basis. Newport Pickleball Club's outdoor courts will also be open to the public, with memberships available for regular players.

Will the Newport padel courts be indoor or outdoor?

Outdoor. The two new courts sit on an open-air campus alongside a turf-and-hardscape entertainment patio. Outdoor padel plays a little differently from indoor — wind and sunlight come into play — so it is worth knowing the differences before your first match.

How do I book a court at Newport Pickleball Club?

The club takes reservations through PlayByPoint, and once the padel courts open you will be able to book them online. You can also check availability and club details on the Padel Browser club page as the courts come online.

Newport Padel: Aquidneck Island's First Courts in 2026

Padel is finally coming to Newport County. Newport Pickleball Club — the popular indoor racquet hub in Middletown — is building two outdoor padel courts that will be the first on Aquidneck Island. Here is what is on the way, and how to get on a court once the nets go up.

Padel Lands in Newport County

For a corner of New England this racquet-obsessed, Aquidneck Island has been a surprising blank spot on the map. Year-round pickleball, summer tennis crowds, sailing — but nowhere to actually play padel, the glass-walled doubles game that has become the world's fastest-growing sport.

That changes in 2026. Newport Pickleball Club announced it is adding two outdoor padel courts to its 2.75-acre campus on West Main Road, billing them as the first outdoor padel courts on Aquidneck Island. For a club that opened in 2024 and quickly grew past 400 members on pickleball alone, padel is the natural next chapter.

"This expansion was always the natural next step for us," co-founder John Theberge said when the project was announced. "Our indoor club has been embraced by the community in a way we couldn't have imagined."

Newport Pickleball Club Adds Outdoor Padel — 2 Courts on a 2.75-Acre Campus

Opening Soon

Newport Pickleball Club

866 West Main Road, Middletown, RI 02842(401) 324-5672

Tucked along West Main Road in Middletown, just minutes from downtown Newport and the island's beaches, Newport Pickleball Club has spent two years turning a 2.75-acre campus into one of the busiest racquet destinations in the state. The two new outdoor padel courts will sit alongside its nine indoor pickleball courts and an on-site kitchen and bar, giving Aquidneck Island a true padel home for the first time. Expect a social, drop-in atmosphere — the kind of place where a doubles match rolls straight into a drink on the patio.

Courts: 2

View Club

The Wider Rhode Island Picture

Newport's courts are a milestone for the island, but they are not the state's first padel. That distinction belongs to the southwestern coast of Rhode Island: in 2024, the town of Westerly opened the country's first municipal padel courts, a public installation funded by the Royce Family Fund and built atop the seasonal Main Street skating rink. Those were also New England's first public padel courts.

So the accurate framing for Newport Pickleball Club is Newport County's and Aquidneck Island's first padel — a second beachhead for the sport on opposite ends of a small state that is punching above its weight. With Westerly's public courts roughly 45 minutes southwest, Rhode Island players will soon have two distinct places to play.

More Than Courts — Bar, Patio & Live Music

The padel courts are only half the pitch. The expansion also adds a turf-and-hardscape entertainment patio designed for post-match socializing, live music, and community gatherings — an open-air complement to the club's existing indoor kitchen and bar.

It is a model that has powered padel's growth elsewhere: the sport is inherently social — always doubles, always four players — and clubs that pair courts with food, drinks, and a place to linger tend to build communities fast. For a club that already proved the formula with pickleball, adding outdoor padel and a patio is a logical bet on Newport's warm-season crowds.

How to Play & Check Availability

The outdoor courts are opening soon — they are not yet playable as of mid-2026, so keep an eye on the club's announcements and mailing list for a firm opening date. When they go live, reservations will run through PlayByPoint, the club's existing booking platform.

You can also follow the club and check availability on its Padel Browser club page as courts come online. New to the game? Our guides on padel vs. pickleball and indoor vs. outdoor padel are a good place to start before your first match on Aquidneck Island.