Why the French padel market has become the global benchmark for controlled growth

The last Global Padel Report 2026 Playtomic and Strategy& clearly place France among the most dynamic and robust markets in the world. While some countries are experiencing overheating or a correction phase, France appears as a model of balanced development, capable of combining strong demand, continuous expansion, and the progressive structuring of the sector.

Even better: in 2025, France was the country that contributed the most new land to construction worldwide. This performance confirms the spectacular acceleration observed over the past several years.

France, world champion of new tracks in 2025

According to the report, nearly 8 new plots of land were built worldwide in 2025, bringing the global total to 58 padel courts .

Of all the countries studied, France is cited as the main contributor to this growth:

"In 2025, France had an exceptional year by contributing more than any other country to the construction of new padel courts."

This dynamic confirms that the French market is no longer simply emerging. It has become one of the main drivers of the global padel industry.

Why the French padel market has become the global benchmark for controlled growth

Spectacular growth since 2016

The growth in the number of pitches in France is impressive.

The report shows continued progress:

2016: 0,4 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants
2020: 1 plot
2021:1,2
2022:1,5
2023:2,2
2024:3,5
2025: 4,6 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants

The real takeoff occurred after the arrival of structured private investors. Between 2022 and 2025, growth accelerated sharply with an increase of nearly 40% per year according to the report.

Padel Global: 58,000 pitches, 19 million players… figures that confirm the market explosion

France falls into the category of the healthiest markets

One of the major findings of the report is the change in status of France.

Playtomic now classifies France in the category “The Sweet Spot” alongside:

Netherlands
Belgium
Switzerland
South Africa

This category refers to countries that have found a balance between:

development of the product range,
growth in the number of players,
club profitability
sustainable expansion.

Unlike overheated markets such as Sweden or Chile, France is able to absorb new infrastructure thanks to consistently strong demand.

Sweden, Chile, Finland: the leading padel markets already in crisis

Occupancy rates among the highest in Europe

One of the most revealing figures concerns the actual use of land.

The report indicates that French clubs are showing:

about 51% average occupancy
up to 81% during peak hours .

These figures place France among the best performing markets in Europe.

Another revealing piece of information:

French pitches host on average 9 to 10 hours of gameplay per day , proof of continued strong demand despite the constant increase in the number of tracks.

Growth now spread across the entire territory

The report also highlights an important development.

Unlike the early years when development was concentrated in a few major cities, French growth now extends to the entire country:

"The development of padel in France has spread to all regions of the country, rather than being concentrated around a single major metropolis."

The openings now also include:

large cities,
medium-sized cities,
peri-urban areas,
Tennis clubs undergoing restructuring.

This geographical distribution reduces the risk of local saturation.

The South remains the heart of French padel

Even though the development is now national, the report confirms that:

“The South remains a key center of activity. »

The Southern region maintains a historical lead thanks to:

its proximity to Spain;
its favorable climate;
its seniority in practice;
the presence of numerous specialist clubs.

The PACA and Occitanie regions thus remain the driving forces of the French market.

The French model is based on two engines

The report identifies two main drivers of growth:

100% padel clubs

The proliferation of centers dedicated exclusively to padel is the main driver of new openings.

These structures allow:

more land;
a better customer experience;
dining areas;
academies;
ongoing activities.

The transformation of tennis clubs

Second important driver:

the gradual integration of padel into existing tennis clubs.

This strategy allows for:

to reduce investment costs;
to use existing infrastructure;
to accelerate the development of sport.

Why France avoids the overheating trap

One of the great strengths of the French market lies in its discipline.

Unlike Sweden or Chile, where supply has sometimes grown faster than demand, France seems to maintain a healthier balance.

The report emphasizes several factors:

gradual growth;
strong and regular demand;
structured investments;
geographically distributed expansion;
high utilization of facilities.

This situation allows clubs to maintain high levels of profitability while continuing to open new sites.

There is still enormous room for improvement

Despite this spectacular growth, France remains far from Spanish levels.

The report notes that Spain has between 14 and 37 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants , against only 4,6 in France .

In other words, the potential for development remains considerable.

France is currently in an intermediate phase:

the sport is widely known;
the application is installed;
Investors are present;
but the territorial network is still much smaller than that of historical markets.

France, future European leader in padel?

The observation of Global Padel Report 2026 It is clear: France is no longer an emerging market.

It has become one of the main laboratories for the global development of padel. Leader in new constructions by 2025, with high occupancy rates and growth now spread across the entire territory, it represents today the model that many countries are seeking to replicate.

If this momentum continues, France could quickly establish itself as the second largest market in the world behind Spain, while avoiding the mistakes seen in some countries that have experienced too rapid growth.

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.