Madrid, capital of a country where padel is not a fad

Le Madrid P1 will open its qualifying rounds on 29 August before joining the Movistar Arena from September 1st to 6th . But Premier Padel arrives in a country where the discipline no longer needs to be known: with nearly 17,000 trails , more than 111 licensees With an estimated several million players, Spain already has one of the most developed padel ecosystems in the world.

In Madrid, the very unfolding of the tournament illustrates this reality. 29 at August 31 The qualifying rounds will take place at Pro Padel Coslada , on the outskirts of the capital. Then, starting September 1st, the main painting will take possession of the Movistar Arena .

From the club to the big arena, the transition seems almost natural in a country where padel is now part of the sporting landscape.

Nearly 17,000 padel courts in Spain

The data published by the International Padel Federation (FIP) The figures for 2024 allow us to measure the scale of the phenomenon. Spain then had nearly 4,500 clubs and practice facilities , representing approximately 17 tracks .

The park had progressed further by 5% in one year , to reach a ratio close to a runway for 3,500 inhabitants .

These 4,500 structures, however, do not correspond solely to clubs affiliated with the Spanish Federation. The FIP also recorded more than 1,500 affiliated clubs This demonstrates the importance of commercial and private offerings in the development of Spanish padel.

Another telling indicator: according to a barometer of SPSG Consulting cited by the FIP , 12,7% of the Spanish population plays padel , or more than six million people This estimate comes from a survey and not an administrative count, but it illustrates the considerable gap between the number of practitioners and the number of licensed players.

More than 111,000 registered members: almost twice as many as in 2015

Federal practice is also following an upward trend. November 14, 2025 the Spanish Federation counted 111 licensees , against 56 in 263 In ten years, their number has therefore practically doubled.

Growth continued after the acceleration observed around the Covid period. Spain had 75 licensees in 548 then 96 by the end of 872 before crossing the threshold of 109,040 licenses in 2023 . After 109,040 licenses in 2024 A new record was set in 2025.

Women then represented approximately 35% of licensed players According to the Spanish Federation, padel also occupied the seventh place among sports with the most registered members in Spain .

These figures confirm that the discipline has long since moved beyond being a mere fad.

Madrid, second largest contingent of licensed players in the country

La Community of Madrid logically occupies an important place in this ecosystem.

In the FIP study covering 2024, the Madrid region had approximately 2 tracks , behind Catalonia and Andalusia, which each exceeded 3,200.

Its influence is even greater in terms of registered members. In November 2025, Madrid had 12,661 licenses , be the second regional contingent from Spain , behind Catalonia and its 30,369 registered players.

A few weeks earlier, the Community of Madrid reported 11,989 registered members and 133 clubs The difference is explained by the date of the surveys: the regional data were published in September, compared to November for the national update.

These figures primarily help to understand why a tournament like the Madrid P1 can rely on an audience already familiar with padel, its players and its stakes.

From the Pro Padel Coslada at the Movistar Arena

The Madrid P1 schedule ultimately offers a fairly accurate summary of the Spanish model of padel .

The qualifiers will take place at a club, at Pro Padel Coslada before the best players in the world join the others a few kilometers further on Movistar Arena for the main table.

Two worlds that are no longer truly separate. The show presented by Premier Padel rests on a considerable base of practitioners, clubs, tracks and competitors.

The challenge in Spain is therefore no longer really about introducing padel. It is now about continuing its structuring, converting more players into registered members, and further developing the women's practice and that of young people .

Du August 29 to September 6 Naturally, attention will be focused on the favorites, the new partnerships, and the Madrid P1 points race. But behind the tournament lies a broader reality: Madrid is the showcase of a country where padel has already become a mass sport.

Antoine Tricolet

I discovered the Padel I stumbled into Spain at a campsite. I was instantly hooked; passionate about padel, I follow international and regional news with the same excitement as the sport itself.