Our Vision

The SFN is a neutral platform dedicated to sustainable development, knowledge sharing, and strategic cooperation in the racquet sports facility sector.

Backed by nearly 40 years of hands-on experience in squash facility development, we’ve uncovered the key success factors for building and running sustainable racquet sports venues.

Our vision is to unite Squash, Padel, Pickleball, and Badminton — racquet sports that share the same core business model, face similar operational challenges, and serve overlapping audiences. Instead of competing, these sports should learn from each other and grow together.

At SFN, we enable this shift by promoting:

Transparency and insight – through in-depth research, data analysis, and real-world best practices.

Cross-sector connections – bringing together operators, investors, architects, federations, and stakeholders

Independence – as a quality-driven, unbiased network focused on long-term viability.

Our core belief:
The future of racquet sports doesn’t lie in separation — but in strategic collaboration. SFN is here to be the platform, the pulse, and the driving force behind that change.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower the sustainable growth of racquet sports facilities by providing independent expertise, reliable data, and a collaborative platform for everyone involved in the industry.

We support facility operators, developers, investors, architects, and federations by:

Sharing evidence-based insights and best practices

Connecting stakeholders across all racquet sports

Highlighting successful models and innovative concepts

Promoting smart planning, economic sustainability, and future-proof design

Whether you're building from scratch, optimizing an existing facility, or rethinking your business model – SFN offers the tools, guidance, and community to help you succeed.

Meet the SFN Team

Racquet sports are evolving fast, and so are we.  SFN is now a focused two‑person powerhouse combining unrivalled domain expertise with cutting‑edge artificial intelligence. Together, Markus and  Rachele translate deep operational know‑how into data‑driven tools and insights that help operators and investors unlock the full commercial potential of racquet facilities worldwide.

Markus Gaebel - Founder & CEO

With 40 years of experience in squash and racquet facilities, and having led projects in over 60 countries, Markus has witnessed—and helped shape—the evolution of racquet sports on a global scale. This unmatched international perspective gives him a benchmark-level understanding of best practices and operational strategies across diverse markets. He possesses what is arguably the most comprehensive insider knowledge of racquet‑facility “secrets” in the industry. From business planning and architectural design to day-to-day management, his strategies are grounded in decades of real-world success. Markus now channels this expertise into SFN’s advisory services and strategic frameworks, ensuring every client benefits from proven, high-impact solutions.

Rachele Gaebel – Head of AI & Data Science

Rachele leads the creation of SFN Core AI—the world’s first artificial‑intelligence model trained exclusively on the racquet‑sports ecosystem. She brings an interdisciplinary background in machine learning, behavioural analytics, and sport‑business economics, and is currently deepening her expertise through studies in Macroeconomics and AI at Bocconi University in Milan. Her unique ability to bridge technical depth with sector-specific insight allows her to translate vast, fragmented industry data into actionable intelligence. Under her direction, SFN Core AI powers everything from demand‑forecasting engines to automated facility‑diagnostics dashboards—delivering answers in seconds to questions that once took weeks of manual analysis.