Alors que le paddle, pickleball and tennis While media attention is focused on racquet sports, a deeper reality structures the global market. In the background, less visible disciplines—badminton, table tennis, squash, racquetball, beach tennis, platform tennis, or real tennis—are nonetheless shaping it. player participation, player development, club economics, and infrastructure models.

As Philippe Azar summarizes, Global Rackets Industry Strategist :

“Make no mistake: these so-called ‘secondary’ sports silently structure the practice, the talent pools, and community sport all over the world.”

Mass sports, the invisible foundation of the system

Le badminton and table tennis represent on their own more than 400 million practitioners worldwide, of which approximately 325 million in AsiaTheir role is central: low cost of access, school integration, early motor learning, structured local competitions.

These disciplines directly feed into more high-profile sports. They train players, coaches, referees, and create a sustainable sports culturewell before reaching the top level.

"These are drivers of massive participation. Major racket sports are based on these foundations, even if they don't always acknowledge it," emphasizes Philippe Azar.

Squash and racquetball: maximum intensity, minimal footprint

With more than 50,000 courts worldwideSquash and racquetball maintain a strong presence, in particular:

  • about Commonwealth countries
  • about dense urban areas
  • within corporate and academic networks

Their strength: intensive training on small surfaces, compatible with current real estate constraints and programs of corporate well-being.

Racket sports “behind the scenes”: ignoring them would be a strategic mistake

Tourism, experiential and niche sports

Disciplines such as Beach tennis, platform tennis or paddle variants are developing strongly in:

  • many resorts
  • many resorts
  • many premium tourist areas

They follow a clear logic: experience, local culture, short events, targeted sponsorship.

"These sports maintain innovation and tell a local story, which is what brands are looking for today," analyzes Philippe Azar.

Hybrid clubs and infrastructure conversion: the economic turning point

One of the key points revealed by the sector analysis concerns the evolution of club models :

  • +35% to +42% growth in hybrid/multisport clubs
  • 1 tennis court = 3 padel courts or 4 pickleball courts

In figures (2025):

  • Tennis ~106 million players, ~80,000 courts
  • Padel : ~30 million players, ~80,000 courts
  • Pickleball: ~24 million players, ~80,000 courts

These conversions profoundly alter the economics of the facilities, without marginalizing other sports. They redefine their role.

“These transformations do not eliminate ‘shadow’ sports. They reposition their value in the ecosystem,” insists Philippe Azar.

Racket sports “behind the scenes”: ignoring them would be a strategic mistake

A pool of cross-functional and underestimated talent

Another key factor: Over 75% of professional players have played several racket sports during their training.
Coordination, reading the game, volleying, movement: skills flow naturally between disciplines.

A concrete example cited by Philippe Azar:

"In a suburban club, a repurposed squash program has become the cornerstone of after-school activities. Children discover racket sports there before moving on to tennis or padel. This type of pipeline matters far more than the media-hyped growth figures."

Resilience and complementarity: a strategic challenge

These sports also offer major structural advantages:

  • small land footprint
  • better indoor compatibility
  • less exposed to noise and zoning constraints
  • strong capacity for social inclusion

They improve the rentabilité annuelle, retaining practitioners and income diversification.

A non-competitive, but complementary market

The global racket sports market is not a zero-sum gameMediated disciplines do not thrive in isolation: they rely on a broader, discreet but fundamental system.

“Treating all racket sports as complementary assets helps to secure revenues, anchor clubs in their territory and reduce the risk associated with single-sport,” concludes Philippe Azar.

At a time when clubs, investors, and regions are rethinking their models, ignoring so-called "underground" racket sports would be a mistake. strategic mistakeThey are the ones who silently ensure the solidity of the structure.

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.

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