This is how much padel is expected to grow by 2026 — here's the reason for its success
In Sweden, padel has recently been surrounded by dark headlines with closures and bankruptcies. But globally, the sport is booming like never before.
According to a recent report, the number of padel courts worldwide will double by 2026.
In the coming years, a significant development for padel is predicted in regions where the sport is still in its early stages. The markets identified are the UK, Germany, and France in Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, India, and China in Asia and the United States.
According to the Global Padel Report 2023, a new report published for the second year and produced by the research company Monitor Deloitte and Playtomic.
The data in the report points to an optimistic forecast that by 2026 there will be around 85,000 padel courts in the world, more than doubling the current figure of around 40,000. The report identifies social relationships as a key driver of the sport's growth.
Growth stands out
In addition to the increase in the number of courts, the growth of the padel market as a whole stands out, valued at around €2,000 million, making the padel industry worth €6 billion by 2026.
— We have made a huge effort to understand, based on data, the factors that make the sport a global phenomenon. Thanks to this, we have realized that the interconnected culture through padel facilitates social relationships and makes it a real lifestyle beyond the fun or sporting moment," says Playtomics co-founder and CEO Pablo Carro.
Spain — top of the league
In 2022, padel courts increased by 28% (8,200), while padel clubs increased by 24% (1,914) in the same period.
Unsurprisingly, Spain is number one on the list of most courts (15,300), followed by Italy (6,470) and Sweden (4,200). The figures in the report are from January 2023. In 2023, neither Spain nor Italy suffered from over-establishment, leading to bankruptcies and closures in Sweden.
The figures will be compared with the future important markets identified in the report, such as Germany and the UK, which were at 250 when the report was produced.
The report explicitly identifies "Case Sweden" as an exceptional case and states that Sweden's "padel bubble" does not apply to other markets.
— The report highlights once again the sustained growth of this sport among fans and the interest of investors in contributing to its development, especially in terms of the construction of padel courts and the creation of clubs, which allows it to have an optimistic forecast in the medium and short term, both in developed and emerging markets," says Elena Martín, Senior Manager of Deloitte Monitor.
