Le Global Padel Report 2026 Playtomic and Strategy& confirm a major shift in the global padel economy: the France has become the leading contributor to global growth in the number of new land developments by 2025. .

While Spain is gradually entering a phase of economic maturity and some markets like Sweden or Chile are going through a structural correction, France now appears as one of the most balanced and solid markets in the world of padel.

The report even officially places France in the strategic category called “The Sweet Spot” alongside the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. This category designates markets capable of maintaining strong growth while avoiding the speculative excesses seen elsewhere.

But beyond the raw figures, the report reveals a much deeper shift: French padel is entering a new phase. The French model is no longer based solely on following a trend or simply opening new courts. Now, the market is structured around a more mature approach: professional operation, specialized clubs, extensive use of courts, integration with existing tennis facilities, and the gradual rise of private chains.

A key figure: France has added more land than any other country by 2025

The report clearly explains that France had an “exceptional year” in 2025 and represents “the largest share of new land added in the world”.

On a global scale:

7 new plots of land were built in 2025
the global park now reaches 58 tracks
nearly 5 new clubs have been created

And in this global growth, France appears as the main European driver.

The graph focusing on France shows a dramatic acceleration since 2021:

Year	Estimated number of plots
2016	0,4 k
2017	0,5 k
2018	0,6 k
2019	0,8 k
2020	1,0 k
2021	1,2 k
2022	1,5 k
2023	2,2 k
2024	3,5 k
2025	4,6 k

In other words, France has almost quadrupled its fleet in just four years.

France enters the “Sweet Spot” category

The report now classifies countries according to five major development categories:

Padel Heartlands
The Sweet Spot
The Hotspot
Diamonds in the Rough
Post-Boom Adjustment

France now belongs to the “Sweet Spot” group.

This ranking is extremely important because it means that:

Demand is high
the market has become structurally stable
Growth remains significant
but without a massive overheating phenomenon

The report describes this type of market as:

“healthy and controlled growth”
with expansion aligned with actual demand.

The main characteristics of this group:

average annual growth around 23%
across 5 and 19 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants
across 1,000 to 4,000 players per 100,000 inhabitants
development primarily private
disciplined expansion
strong absorption of demand

Padel In France: Why the French market is becoming the true laboratory of global padel in 2026

Why France is considered a “balanced” market

The report emphasizes a central point: unlike some countries that experienced a speculative explosion, France has managed to maintain a more rational development.

Playtomic and Strategy& explain several reasons:

1. Growth that is now better structured

The report explicitly mentions a phase:

“more structured”
and “more disciplined”.

The French market has reportedly moved out of its “Hotspot” period and entered a more mature phase.

2. Still extremely strong demand

The document emphasizes that:

“Usage levels remain well above mature market benchmarks.”

This is probably one of the most important points of the report.

Because today, the major global economic question for padel is no longer:
“How many plots of land should be opened?”

But rather:
“Are the fields actually full?”

And according to the report, the French response remains very positive.

3. Growth distributed throughout the territory

Another essential element:

“French growth has developed across regions rather than around a single metropolis.”

This means that French padel no longer depends solely on:

of Paris
Toulouse
from Bordeaux
or from Marseille

Development is becoming national.

The South remains the historical heart of French padel

Even if the market becomes nationalized, the report clearly states:

“The South remains a key center of activity”.

This confirms a historical reality:

Occitanie
PACA
Nouvelle Aquitaine

remain the major driving forces of French padel.

These regions also contain:

the majority of the major historical clubs
the first private channels
major tournaments
the most active pools of competitive players

A French model based on two pillars

The report clearly identifies the two drivers of French growth:

1. 100% Padel Clubs

The document explains that current growth is driven by:

“padel-only clubs”.

In other words :
clubs designed exclusively around padel.

This is a major change.

The French market is gradually moving away from simply adding a few tracks to multi-sport facilities.

2. The conversion of tennis clubs

The report also highlights:

“The integration of padel into existing tennis infrastructure.”

This tennis-padel hybridization is becoming one of the major economic drivers of the French market.

Why?

Because it allows:

to reduce land costs
to reuse existing infrastructure
to leverage an existing licensee base
to limit economic risks

The French model seems to avoid the Swedish trap

One of the key takeaways from the report concerns the implicit comparison between France and Sweden.

Sweden: an example of overheating

The report describes Sweden as a market:

in “deep correction”
with club closures
decline in occupancy rates
massive overcapacity

The figures speak for themselves:

occupancy rate fell from 52% to 21%
sudden market slowdown
forced consolidation

France: strong but disciplined growth

Conversely, the report considers that France:

continues to open massively
but without total disconnect from actual demand

This is probably the main structural difference.

France is still far behind Spain in terms of population density.

Despite its spectacular growth, France remains very far from the Spanish model.

The report indicates that the “Padel Heartlands” like Spain have:

between 14 and 37 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants
up to 13,000 players per 100,000 inhabitants

France, for its part, falls within a range:

from 5 to 19 plots of land per 100,000 inhabitants

The growth potential therefore remains enormous.

French clubs are benefiting from a favorable economic context

The report also devotes a large part to the economic models of the clubs.

One indicator stands out in particular for France:

65% indoor courts

The “Indoor vs Outdoor courts” graph shows that:

about 65% of French ski slopes are covered
versus 35% outdoor

This is fundamental from an economic standpoint.

Why?

Because indoors:

stabilizes demand
reduces seasonality
improves revenues
allows for higher prices
promotes ancillary activities

The French median price remains relatively affordable

The report also states:

Median indoor ticket price: approximately €25
outdoor ticket: around €40

This places France in an intermediate zone:

less premium than the United Kingdom
but more structured than some emerging markets

The report indirectly corrects some global padel figures

One of the most interesting elements of the document concerns the estimates of the actual number of players.

The report states:

19,4 million players worldwide
against the 35 million announced by the FIP

This difference is enormous.

The report even specifies:

“Our bottom-up analysis indicates a more conservative estimate.”

Indirectly, this therefore calls into question some very optimistic estimates that have been circulating in recent years.

A key question: what is a “padel player”?

Behind these discrepancies in figures lies, above all, a fundamental methodological question.

Are we talking about:

from a person who has played once?
from a casual practitioner?
of a licensed individual?
of a regular player?

The report appears to adopt a much more cautious approach and one that is closer to actual practice.

France is becoming a global padel laboratory

Finally, the report shows that France now represents a kind of ideal testing ground for the global padel industry.

Why?

Because it combines:

high increase
real demand
progressive structuring
professionalisation
regional development
economic balance still relatively healthy

In other words, France appears today as one of the few markets capable of growing rapidly without immediately falling into the excesses observed elsewhere.

And that's probably why so many investors, private channels and international players are now looking at the French market with enormous attention.

Source: Global Padel Report 2026 – Playtomic & Strategy&

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.