Sweden is unquestionably one of the most advanced European nations in the development of padel. With 385 courts/million inhabitants, the Scandinavian country – which has 10,5 million inhabitants – even has a higher ratio than Spain, which has 325 courts/million inhabitants, according to figures provided by Monitor Deloitte . Last year Sweden impressed by creating 1300 new pitches. Flat, 600 of them have already been dismantled. We explain why. 

Sweden evolution number of courts

The Covid-19 real detonator

According to the report by Monitor Deloitte, 2020 marks a pivotal year for the padel in Sweden. The country which today has 700 players, or 000% of the total population, has seen many factors cause the gaming industry to explode. padel this year : 

  • Due to the restrictions imposed by the health crisis, le padel was one of the few activities social activities that can be practiced indoors.
  • Regulatory requirements to build and open a new club have been eased
  • Sweden has a large and affluent middle class and sufficient and appropriate infrastructure to build clubs with many covered areas (warehouses)

For these multiple reasons, many investments have flowed into the Swedish padel, allowing new clubs to emerge. Following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, the fever of the padel normalized in Sweden. According to the Deloitte Monitor report, the padel has experienced a sustainable growth model, in which infrastructure development takes place over a long period of time.

A surplus of courts?

However, a wave of inflation has increased the cost of operating clubs, resulting in a lack of profitability for these centers padel which were therefore forced to close. These closures come as demand and interest in the padel in Sweden are much stronger than before the pandemic. But for a year, despite the creation of 1300 new courts, more than 600 have been dismantled. 

evolution of the courts padel in Sweden since 2020

The reason ? A surplus of courts in the country relative to demand and profitability. According to Monitor Deloitte, which has developed its own market saturation metric, the surplus was reached at around 3700 courts, the number of tracks Sweden had at the start of 2021…

thomas jay

After being rocked by tennis for nearly 15 years, I became an absolute fan of its cousin, the padel. For nearly a year now, I've been chasing the little yellow ball with another racquet, but with just as much passion! Based in Lyon, I intend to make you better acquainted with the padel in the region and at the national level.

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