Padel has grown from a niche sport concentrated in Spain and Latin America into a widely visible activity. Luxury hotels, fashion brands, and private members’ clubs have added permanent courts or hosted padel events. Worldwide participation is estimated at over 30 million recreational players. In Britain, participation has risen sharply from 15,000 players in 2019 to more than 860,000 in 2025. Awareness is reported as reaching about half the UK population, with some discussion of padel becoming an Olympic sport by 2032. Celebrity involvement has increased interest and participation, with athletes and public figures frequently seen playing and investing in padel.
"It would be difficult not to notice the rise of padel. What was once a relatively niche sport, played mainly in Spain and Latin America, now seems to be everywhere: luxury hotels are building permanent courts, fashion brands are hosting padel pop-ups, and private members' clubs are making space for matches."
"It's estimated there are now more than 30 million recreational padel players worldwide. According to the LTA, in Britain alone, participation has surged from just 15,000 players in 2019 to more than 860,000 in 2025, making it one of the country's fastest-growing sports."
""Thirty-one million people in the UK are now aware of padel - that's 50 percent of the population," says Charlie Grave, who, with TBB-Sport, founded the Hurlingham Club's star-studded Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic, adding that there is talk of padel becoming an Olympic sport come 2032."
"Celebrities and athletes have definitely helped fuel the boom and raise the profile of the sport. "It's every ex-athlete's favourite sport, every actor, every millionaire. It's for everybody. Grandma, grandson, mom, and dad," says Peter Worton, founder of Padel Up, an independent padel club in LA."
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