Le world padel continues its growth at a sustained pace in 2025. According to the latest report published by Playtomic and Strategy&, sport now accounts for 58,334 properties worldwide , with almost 8,000 new courts built in a single year and about 5,000 new clubs opened This progress confirms that padel has entered a new phase: that of a structured global industry, driven as much by sporting practice as by economic, real estate and technological issues.

The “2026 Global” report Padel The report also estimates that 19,4 million the number of players worldwide, including more than 850,000 registered players . A deliberately conservative estimate compared to the figures put forward by the FIP, based on a cross-analysis of several data sources.

Padel continues its globalization

The year 2025 marks a new stage in the geographical expansion of padel. While Spain remains the historical heart of the market, growth is now spread across several continents.

France has been one of the major drivers of this global growth. The report highlights that it represents the largest contribution in terms of the number of new plots of land to be built on by 2025.

Other areas are also accelerating:

Indonesia added approximately 800 lands in one year,
Mexico and Brazil are driving Latin American growth.
South Africa dominates development in Africa.
Ireland is making rapid progress despite a still limited base.

Since 2016, the number of padel courts worldwide has multiplied by six .

A market now structured by “archetypes”

One of the central points of the report lies in the creation of a classification system for global padel markets. Playtomic and Strategy& distinguish five main development profiles.

The "Padel Heartlands”

This category includes historical and ultra-mature markets such as Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Argentina. These countries have a dense network of clubs, a strong padel culture, and consistent demand.

The report explains that in these countries, growth is no longer based on the massive creation of new land but on:

monetization,
the optimization of existing clubs,
professionalization,
multi-site chains,
premium models.

Spain remains the global benchmark with between 14 and 37 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants depending on the regions studied.

The “Sweet Spot”: France’s category

France now falls into the category considered to be the healthiest economically: the “Sweet Spot”.

The report describes these markets as balanced ecosystems where:

Supply increases at the same rate as demand.
Occupancy rates remain high,
Growth remains disciplined.
The investments remain consistent.

According to Playtomic, France has moved out of its “Hotspot” phase and entered a more mature and better structured development phase.

Several elements are highlighted:

high demand intensity,
occupancy levels exceeding the standards of mature markets,
an expansion spread across the entire territory,
significant development of 100% padel clubs,
the integration of padel into existing tennis clubs.

The report also specifies that the south of France remains the most active area in the country.

Another important point: French clubs reportedly have extremely high usage rates, with approximately 9 to 10 hours of gameplay per day on certain installations.

United Kingdom and Germany: the new “Hotspots”

The UK and Germany represent the most explosive markets at present.

The United Kingdom is described as a “demand-driven hotspot”.

The figures presented are particularly impressive:

about 85% average occupancy during rush hour,
nearly 50% of players report having difficulty reserving a pitch at strategic times.

The British model is based on:

premium indoor clubs,
multi-site chains,
automated formats,
a strong social and event-based dimension.

Germany is also experiencing very rapid acceleration, mainly through the transformation of indoor tennis clubs into padel clubs.

The report emphasizes the major role:

private investors,
large indoor complexes,
regulatory and acoustic constraints,
the professionalization of operators.

The United States remains a source of immense potential.

The United States falls into the category of “Diamonds in the Rough”, in other words, a market that is still immature but has very high potential.

Development there remains hampered by several factors:

urban planning regulations,
the costs of importing land,
high commercial rents,
the lack of awareness of the sport.

The report, however, considers that pickleball could play a role as a cultural gateway to padel in the United States.

Beware of overheated markets

The report also warns against certain markets that have experienced too rapid growth.

Sweden is the most striking example. After an explosion in the number of pitches during the Covid period, the country is now going through a phase of severe consolidation.

The results :

decline in occupancy rates,
club closures,
restructurings,
rationalization of investment portfolios.

Chile is also experiencing a correction phase after several years of euphoric growth. The report specifically mentions:

over 80 club closures ,
a drop 27% of monthly bookings in 2024.

The Middle East: a unique model

The Gulf does not fit into any traditional category. The report considers the region as a “capital-driven” model, supported by public investment and luxury.

Three countries dominate:

the United Arab Emirates,
Saudi Arabia,
Qatar.

Saudi Arabia already has more than 1 lots and is pursuing a massive strategy linked to the Vision 2030 program.

Qatar, for its part, continues to be presented as a major institutional player thanks to Premier Padel and QSI.

Clubs are becoming veritable “revenue-generating machines”

One of the major trends in the report concerns the evolution of the clubs' economic model.

According to Playtomic, the value of a club no longer depends simply on the number of courts, but on its ability to maximize each "court-hour", that is, each hour of play available.

The main levers become:

the occupancy rate,
pricing,
indoor courts,
ancillary services,
customer experience.

The report also indicates that traditional bookings still represent approximately 68% of clubs' gross revenue but complementary formats are progressing strongly:

leagues,
academies,
open matches,
events,
wellness,
restoration,
physical recovery.

Indoors is becoming a key factor

Another key lesson: the most economically robust markets are those with a high proportion of indoor facilities.

The covered courts allow for:

improved stability in visitor numbers,
less seasonality,
more premium revenue,
a full annual program.

Padel is becoming a real estate asset

The report also devotes an entire section to the integration of padel into real estate.

According to Playtomic and Strategy&, padel courts are now becoming:

real estate valuation tools
levers for commercial activation,
premium amenities in the residences,
marketing arguments in the hotel and luxury sectors.

Spain perfectly illustrates this trend with approximately 2% of the land is located in residential complexes .

Around 91,000 sites worldwide?

The report's projections remain extremely optimistic.

Playtomic estimates that the world could reach approximately 91,000 padel courts by 2028 , compared to just over 58,000 today.

But the overall philosophy of the report is clear: the future success of padel will no longer depend solely on the number of courts built.

The future of the market will depend primarily on:

the quality of execution,
professionalization,
data management,
customer experience,
the ability of clubs to generate sustainable value.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.