After a padel pandemic in the Nordic countries. What happens next? Are we going to see a decline? Will we see Nordic actors taking over padel in Europe? Gustaf Straht writes about this and much more in his first blog about Nordic padel on Padel Alto. 

It was only last week that Daniel Windahl was eliminated from the first event on the Premier Padel Circuit. The new circuit that is causing havoc in the padel world. But the new circuit isn’t the only thing that is changing in a sport that has been almost exclusive to the Spanish-speaking parts of the world for so long. 

And who are leading the change: the outsiders. 

”A padel pandemic” 

Internationally, the Swedish handling of the pandemic has been under much discussion. While the world was closing down, Swedes seemed to regard it as “business as usual”; however, it wasn’t really. It was totally different. Offices were closing down, and people started to work from home, or mostly, from the padel court, it seemed. The Padel hysteria that began a few years back had become widely known as the padel pandemic. And while people in Denmark, Norway, and Finland didn’t have the same easy-going approach toward the covid pandemic, they were also finally getting their dose of the padel pandemic. 

Honestly, new courts opened every week, and bookings sky-rocketed finally; it seemed like Finland, Norway, and Denmark were on the bandwagon, riding the hype train. And just like that, the pandemic was gone. Reality and normality have caught up, and we are forced back to our offices. Or at least to turn on our webcam, meaning you can never be in a “Teams”-meeting while blasting bajadas on the court.  

So what is happening now, everyone seems to be asking. Are we going to see a decline? Did we build too many courts? Well, the answer has to be maybe. 

Because while we might expect a slight decline, and maybe prices falling to more reasonable levels, one could also argue that interest is bigger than ever. Alright, perhaps, it might be true that the hysteric interest in Padel has peaked in Sweden. However, in Denmark, Norway, Finland – and to be honest, the world, the hype has never been bigger, and what has been happening in Sweden for a couple of years now is spreading like wildfire throughout Europe. And this wildfire seems to be fueled by Scandinavian entrepreneurs. 

Recently, three major players have been competing like settlers about growing their territorial area, buying facilities like they were Georgina Ronaldo on a shopping spree. 

”This Vikings are going abroad”

Even projects where not even a bulldozer had started to pave the ground were sold, and we were many scratching our heads, wondering what was happening. During the last weeks, things got even wilder when suddenly Padel United, one of the biggest ones, was rumored to eliminate one out of the three, buying PDL Group. That would mean being the far largest actor in Scandinavia, with facilities in all Nordics except Iceland, while also procuring other businesses like online shops and digital apps for padel.

And this is actually where it is getting interesting because plans don’t seem to end there. These Vikings are going abroad to conquer the world and gather the infinite gold this sport seems to generate. 

Last week, reports came that even though the profit is huge, contact has been made with new investors to launch a worldwide expansion, conquering not only Denmark, Finland, and Norway but also spreading throughout Europe and the world.

I admit, using words of conquering Europe and the world leaves a bad taste right now. However, this crusade is of another nature, and spreading the entrepreneurial and business-driven model for the sport's growth is already being copied throughout Scandinavia, and maybe that will be the model that will grow the sport globally?

”Who could have imagined that a few years ago?”

I’m truly happy for this opportunity to provide you with a small insight into the Nordic scene. However, at the current speed, Padel is progressing – Nordic players, entrepreneurs, and brands will make a name for themselves, whether people like me write about it or not. 

The wave that began so quietly in the small city, Båstad, in the southern part of Sweden 15 years ago, has grown into a tsunami that honestly, at this moment, will be too big to be stopped. My mission will be to keep you up to date, one step ahead, providing you with the insights that will affect not only us northerners but also Padel at an international level. While I’m writing this, I’m watching padel being played in Doha, without any live audience but with more money than ever– where a Swede played in the round of 16. 

Who could have imagined that a few years ago?