At LovePadel, we’re passionate about highlighting the people and platforms shaping the growth of padel in Ireland. One standout player in that space is Playmate, the fast-growing community app designed to connect padel enthusiasts through ladders, social games, and smart matchmaking tools.
We sat down with Mohamed Tarek, the founder of Playmate, at an exciting moment for the platform: they've just reached their 100th ranked team in a growing network of padel ladders running across Dublin, Waterford, and beyond. Even more importantly, they’ve recently launched a dedicated women’s ladder, a major step toward growing a more inclusive padel community in Ireland.
In this interview, Mohamed shares how Playmate is building local padel ecosystems, why matchmaking matters, and what’s next for this ambitious app that's turning social padel into something truly special.
Lovepadel: What inspired Playmate to launch dedicated ladders in cities like Dublin and Waterford, and what makes each local ladder unique?
Tarek: The Padel Ladder is a great way to introduce local players to each other, which is Playmate’s ultimate goal—we want to build strong, connected padel communities. In our surveys, the biggest barrier for players—especially beginners—was “finding people at my level to play with.” Even intermediate and experienced players face the same issue. The ladder concept helps solve this by expanding each player’s local padel network, which is why we’re focusing on it heavily.
Lovepadel: The introduction of the women-only ladder is a major step. How does Playmate plan to foster a welcoming and competitive environment for female players across Ireland?
Tarek: There’s huge potential for growth in women’s padel in Ireland. As in many sports, female players are underrepresented. The launch of a women’s ladder is part of our effort to change that.
Our women’s ladder ensures players have a space to compete, connect, and improve—regardless of their current skill level. We want to grow a strong and supportive women’s padel community where everyone feels encouraged, empowered, and challenged.
Lovepadel: How do these ladders fit into Playmate’s broader vision for growing padel in Ireland and Europe? Are there plans to connect local ladders into a national or international ranking system?
Tarek: Playmate’s broader vision is to become the social network of padel, helping players at all stages:
Get beginners into their first games.
Support intermediate and advanced players by connecting them with stronger opponents and more competitive matches.
Help clubs and courts maximize their court time through smart scheduling.
The ladders and our social padel programs align perfectly with these goals.
For now, our main focus is expanding both concepts across Ireland. In the future, we hope to support national padel federations in talent identification and team development. Linking our rankings to national or international systems is definitely on the table.
Lovepadel: What role does player feedback play in the development of new ladders and community features within the Playmate app?
Tarek: Feedback is everything at this stage. Our primary indicator of success is the match scores—if games are tight and competitive, we know our matchmaking is working well. We're proud of our ability to provide players with balanced and challenging games at any level.
Outside of scores, we stay in close contact with our community. We're just a text away, and we personally moderate all ladder matches through the Playmate app. We often receive instant feedback via group chats, which we use to refine features, matchmaking, and the overall player experience.
Lovepadel: Can we expect any upcoming features, partnerships, or events linked to the new ladders that padel players in Ireland should watch out for?
Tarek: Yes—we’re working on several new features to make finding and creating ladder games even easier and more intuitive. Matchmaking is a big area of focus right now. Surprisingly, many experienced players want to join ladders but don’t have a regular partner. That’s a key challenge we're addressing.
We’re also continuously learning from players to improve the platform, so expect more community-driven updates soon.
Lovepadel: How can players join the ladders, and are there any costs involved in participating?
Tarek: Joining is simple:
After signing up on the Playmate app, players complete a self-assessment to help us estimate their padel level.
They can then browse open games and join a ladder slot that suits their level, time, and location.
If they don’t have a partner, they can fill out a matchmaking form and we’ll help them team up.
As for costs, ladder games typically cost about 10–15% more than standard court bookings—usually €1.50 to €2 extra per person. All additional revenue goes directly to the court, as part of our commitment to helping venues make the most of their court space while offering top time slots to players.
Photo via Playmate's Instagram
