While much of the U.S. remains in its “initial phase” of development outside of Florida, the sport of padel has grown globally to a reported 35 million-plus players, supporting a year-over-year increase of 16.1 percent in clubs and 15.2 percent in courts. The data comes from the second edition of the International Padel Federation’s (FIP) World Padel Report.

The FIP is the world governing body for padel, a sport most popular in Europe but gaining ground worldwide. At the start of 2025, padel reached 70,000 courts worldwide, and the number exceeded 77,000 by the end of June. Europe is estimated to have over 51,000 courts, or 66.1 percent of the total; followed by South America, 18.3 percent; Asia, 6.0 percent; Central and North America, 5.1 percent; Africa, 4.4 percent; and Oceania, 0.1 percent.

According to the FIP, Spain has the most padel courts (17,300), followed by Italy (10,220), Argentina (7,000), Sweden (4,220), France (4,000), Netherlands (3,570), Mexico (2,560), Chile (2,300), Belgium (2,150), Paraguay (2,000), Denmark (1,575), Portugal (1,560), Egypt (1,500), South Africa (1,210), and Saudi Arabia (1,130).

Among the findings in the FIP report:

  • Over 61 percent of padel players live in Europe. Nineteen percent are in South America. Central and North America have 7.7 percent. Asia accounts for 6.8 percent, and Africa for 4.9 percent. Participation in Africa is still growing and now exceeds 4.9 percent. In Oceania, the percentage remains only a fraction of a point.
  • Of the over 35 million padel players, more than half play at least once a week.
  • Most amateur players are men (60 percent), although women account for 40 percent of the total.
  • There are 150 nations and 20 dependent territories where padel can be played, 26 more (16 African, 7 Asian, and 3 American) than in the previous FIP survey conducted in April 2024.
  • In the last 18 months, 14,355 padel courts were added globally. This is a 22.8 percent increase, or 15.2 percent annually.
  • Over the last 18 months, clubs globally have increased by 4,775 units, surpassing 24,600. This represents a 24.1 percent increase, or an annual increase of 16.1 percent.
  • FIP-organized tournaments expanded from 182 in 2024 to 290 in 2025. These tournaments involved over 11,000 athletes.

Regional Developments

  • Europe has surpassed 15,000 padel clubs and 50,000 padel courts, but, like other continents, it shows uneven growth among its countries. The three major countries (France, Great Britain and Germany) continued to grow in 2024, while smaller countries have seen significant growth in courts, including Switzerland (+400 courts), Greece and Austria (+300 courts), Lithuania (+200 courts), Cyprus (+200) and Ireland (+100). Among the two countries where paddle is most played, Spain, with over 17,300 courts, over 6 million players and 50 percent of all padel enthusiasts in Europe, continues its growth, although at a more moderate rate, while Italy, which has surpassed 10,200 courts, is now undergoing a period of consolidation after the boom. Most of Eastern Europe is still in the start-up phase.
  • America is the second-largest continent in terms of developed sport, with 18,100 courts across 6,400 clubs. Argentina remains the leading country on the American continent, with over 40 percent of players, followed by Mexico with 13 percent, Chile and the U.S. with 10 percent each. The U.S. remains in a transition phase from an initial growth phase. At the beginning of 2025, the U.S. had over 650 courts across 31 states, and that figure reached 700 by July. The study stated, “Florida has emerged as the fastest-growing state for padel, boasting the largest number of padel courts in the country (41 percent of the total number of courts in all U.S. states), followed by Texas with 18 percent, California with 10 percent and New York (4.7 percent). In the rest of the United States, we are still in the initial phase.”
  • Asia remains mainly concentrated in the Middle East, with 72 percent of padel facilities, though Lebanon, Thailand and especially Indonesia (350 courts estimated, and as many as 17 percent of all padel enthusiasts on the Asian continent) are growing. Pakistan and Israel also show several positive growth indicators, albeit to a lesser extent. The Philippines, China and India continue to see limited growth in padel participation.
  • In Africa, over 80 percent of the facilities where padel can be played are concentrated in Egypt and South Africa. Morocco and Tunisia are gaining traction.
  • Australia has 80 padel courts, while New Zealand is adding dedicated clubs.

“In the past year, Padel has continued to demonstrate its unique capacity to evolve, expand and surprise,” said Luigi Carraro, president of the IPF, in the study’s introduction. “What once seemed improbable is now our shared daily reality. New countries, new fans, new champions, our sport has crossed linguistic, cultural, and geographical boundaries with extraordinary speed and authenticity. We have seen Padel speak new languages, enter new countries, and capture the hearts of new generations. We have seen thousands of new players get on the courts, millions of people follow our shared passion, and hundreds of tournaments ignite the enthusiasm of a global audience. We have seen new flags rise to the top of the podium, a clear sign of the sport’s horizontal expansion.”

The report also highlights the history and statistics of the three FIP circuits: Premier Padel, CUPRA FIP Tour, and FIP Promises. It also provides an analysis of the FIP men’s and women’s rankings and top players, and profiles of each of the 87 national federations affiliated with FIP in 2025.

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