It began in Phoenix.
Three friends from different corners of France met on a college tennis court in Arizona. Division 1, NCAA.
Through years of training, traveling, and competing side by side, a bond formed - one built on shared discipline, French culture, and the conviction that sport could be lived as a craft.
Padel found us in the Hamptons.
After college, we moved to New York and spent our summers teaching tennis and padel in the Hamptons.
We watched a European sport find its American voice - on resort courts, in private clubs, between cocktail hours and sunsets. A sport with the elegance of golf and the intensity of squash, played in a setting that asked for both.
We knew padel deserved better than what was on the racquet wall.
Built in New York. Designed with French restraint.
VALA is headquartered in New York and designed in collaboration between the three founders' eyes - shaped by years on French courts, refined by the American pace.
We don't believe in equipment that screams. We believe in objects that hold their place quietly, that improve with use, that look as considered on a wall as in a hand.
Padel as a posture, not a performance.
A house, in chapters.
Q3 2024
VALA is founded.
Three French friends officially launch VALA in the United States, driven by a shared belief that padel deserves a more thoughtful object.
Q4 2024
The first racquet takes shape.
Research, testing, and design iterations begin. The team defines the visual language and lifestyle philosophy that will shape every future piece.
Q1 2025
First launch.
VALA One and VALA One Junior racquets launch through boutique clubs, select partners, and online channels.
Q2-Q3 2025
Community & retail growth.
Wholesale partnerships expand across country clubs, hotels, and retail hubs. The first VALA tournaments take place in the Hamptons and New York.
Q4 2025
L'Atelier debuts.
VALA introduces its custom racquet program - bespoke editions for luxury hotels, boutique resorts, and select brand collaborations.
2026
Global expansion.
VALA opens new markets in Europe and South America. International club partnerships and lifestyle collaborations push the brand into new territories.
Meet the founders.
Three friends. One vision. The eyes behind every piece in the collection.
Valentin Lang
Co-Founder & CEO
The product mind. Leads vision, manufacturing, and the obsession with detail.
Gregoire Balenci
Co-Founder & CMO
The brand voice. Builds the world VALA lives in - campaigns, partnerships, culture.
Laurent Magne
Co-Founder & COO
The architect. Holds the operations together - logistics, partnerships, the long view.