Padel report reveals massive growth continues

Big European nations starting to take off but USA sees only small growth in courts

Author

Tim Farthing
July 09, 2024

An annual report on the global padel scene shows the rise of padel doesn’t seem to be slowing down with some huge markets starting to take off but the USA hasn’t quite got the padel bug… yet!

The report from Playtomic and consultancy giant PwC can be outlined in a few key bullett points.

  • Court and club numbers continue to increase

  • Padel is reaching more countries

  • Sales of rackets are increasing very fast with vast numbers of new brands entering the market

  • The blend of sociability and competitiveness is fuelling the popularity of the sport

  • Maybe due to lack of courts, padel players are travelling to play at a variety of venues

New padel courts built in 2023

With 6,000 new courts and 2,500 new padel clubs opening across the world in 2023, the sport seems to be capturing the attention of not just players but also federations and businesses alike as the potential for encouraging a new healthy lifestyle becomes more attractive.

In Europe it’s France and Italy leading the growth outside of padel’s heartland of Iberia (Spain and Portugal) but the huge markets in the UK and Germany are also starting to feel the force of padel with 240 new courts in the UK and 300 in Germany built in 2023.

The combination of accessibility, social, investment, tech and professionalisation are all working together to drive the sport’s expansion with tech and professionalism seemingly the big voices in this mix. Major international padel events are springing up and 17 countries now compete in the biggest pro padel league

The benefits for players of engaging in the sport suggest that the growth still has a long way to go as the combination of both a social and competitive perception encourages all demographics to get involved and give the game a try.

Key factors for running a padel club

Committing to opening a padel club should not be taken lightly with the average cost of a new court at around $30k/€25k and the real need for a raft of other service offerings outside of the court such as food/drink, socila spaces, events, locker rooms and coaching if you are to succeed.