Latest news with #Playtomic
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The incredible numbers behind the world's fastest growing sport: New study shows why everyone is talking about padel
Padel has taken the world by storm over the past few years and a new study has revealed the staggering numbers which demonstrate its rise in popularity. The sport, typically played in doubles on a smaller court enclosed by glass - was invented by a Mexican businessman in the 1960s. It has now garnered the title of the planet's 'fastest growing sport' with a meteoric rise in recent times. Playtomic's 2025 Global Padel Report, which is widely referred to as 'the Bible of Padel' has highlighted the continued international rise and impact of the sport. 3,282 new clubs opened worldwide in 2024 at an average on almost nine new openings a day (a 22% increase from 2023). 7,187 new courts were built which put the total number of courts worldwide above 50,000. The 26 per cent year-over-year growth in clubs and 17 per cent growth is reflective of a sport that has now made its way into the mainstream. And it is only expected to continue picking up pace with more than 81,000 padel courts are expected to be built by 2027. Unsurprisingly, international investors are flocking to padel, including several famous faces. Andy Murray backs Game4Padel, a padel court building company which is bringing the sport to Westfield London, and Cristiano Ronaldo has put money into a giant facility in Lisbon. Padel was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2019, was officially designated a discipline of tennis in Britain in 2020. It was played at the European Games in Poland in 2023, in its first appearance in a major multi-sport event, and the annual Hexagon Cup - a visionary competition held in Madrid played between teams helmed by celebrities including Lionel Messi and Andy Murray - held its draft for the February 2025 tournament at the start of last month. PwC's Head of the Global Padel Report, Elena Martin mentioned: 'We are delighted to see that the sector has returned to a path of organic and sustainable growth, following the post-COVID activity surge and the adjustments made in 2023. 'With over 50,000 leads currently, development remains strong, particularly in key markets such as France and the United Kingdom. Our projections suggest that this growth momentum will continue in the years ahead.'
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Padel moves into the sporting mainstream
MADRID: Playtomic, the world's largest community of racquet sport players and clubs, and PwC's Business Strategy Consulting arm, Strategy&, have released the Playtomic 2025 Global Padel Report, widely referred to as the 'Bible of Padel.' For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport This report offers the most comprehensive look at the continued international rise and impact of padel, the world's fastest-growing sport. In 2024 alone, 3,282 new clubs opened worldwide, averaging nearly nine new clubs per day (a 22% increase from 2023), and 7,187 new courts were built pushing the global total past 50,000. This 26% year-over-year growth in clubs and 17% growth in courts reflects a sport that is not only scaling rapidly but maturing sustainably and entering mainstream society. The sport's growth is not expected to slow down anytime soon either as more than 81,000 padel courts are expected to be built by 2027. Playtomic Co-Founder and CCO, Pablo Carro said: 'With a new court opening every two and a half hours worldwide, padel has finally joined the top table of the world's sporting elite.' Key Findings from the 2025 Report Global Growth Surge: Padel is now established in over 90 countries, with high-growth markets including Portugal, the Netherlands, U.S., UK, UAE, Mexico, India and Indonesia. Tech-Driven Success: Padel clubs using digital tools like Playtomic's platform are outperforming competitors by 3-5x, showing how data and smart booking are supercharging padel's global ecosystem. The 'Sticky Sport': Once people try padel, they're hooked. With a 92% return rate, padel boasts an incredibly high return rate after just one session, driven by its accessibility, social nature and addictive gameplay. Pickleball Parallels: While often compared, the two sports are increasingly coexisting with 30% of U.S. pickleball venues now offering padel courts––a significant shift from 12 months ago. Olympic Ambitions: With backing from the International Padel Federation (FIP), 2025 is a pivotal year for padel's push toward inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Playtomic Managing Director Antonio Robert Aragones said: "Padel isn't just gaining popularity, it's driving a global movement. This report doesn't just reflect the sport's growth; it helps guide it. Positioned at the heart of padel's global ecosystem, we offer an unmatched perspective through our data, technology and deep connection to the community.' PwC's Head of the Global Padel Report, Elena Martin mentioned: 'We are delighted to see that the sector has returned to a path of organic and sustainable growth, following the post-COVID activity surge and the adjustments made in 2023. With over 50,000 leads currently, development remains strong, particularly in key markets such as France and the United Kingdom. Our projections suggest that this growth momentum will continue in the years ahead.'
Travel Weekly
08-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Padel is a fast-growing racket sport, and resorts are courting players
Move over, pickleball. Hotels and resorts worldwide are embracing the next big racket sport. Padel, essentially a cross between tennis and squash, is winning over converts at a rapid pace. And while the sport isn't technically new -- the International Padel Federation traces its origins to 1960s Mexico and the game has long enjoyed footholds in places like Spain and Argentina -- padel is spreading to new markets. According to the 2024 "Global Padel Report" from Playtomic and PwC's strategy consulting arm Strategy&, almost 6,000 padel courts opened globally in 2023, representing a 16% increase from 2022. Additionally, more than 2,500 padel clubs opened around the world that same year, with markets like France, the U.K., Germany and the U.S. all contributing to the uptick. "In Spain, it's actually overtaken soccer as a participation sport now," said Ian Ryder, co-founder of U.K.-based Padel Tripper, which crafts group travel experiences around the game. "And I reckon in five or six years, padel will be overtaking pickleball in the U.S." Founded in early 2023, Padel Tripper primarily offers padel trips in Spain. The company, which is open to working with advisors, offers a scheduled calendar of experiences as well as bespoke trips for private groups, with a standard three-night, four-day coaching package starting at around $800Note, inclusive of accommodations, coaching and tournament access. What makes the sport so uniquely appealing? Ryder cites padel's combination of accessibility and social connection. "For tennis, you've got to spend months just trying to get the serve," he said. "But with padel, you can actually start to rally very quickly without any particular skill." Padel players pose during a Padel Tripper-organized trip. Photo Credit: Padel Tripper Ryder added that the smaller, enclosed court creates a distinctly communal atmosphere. "From a social perspective, I've never experienced something like it -- everyone's noisy and laughing," said Ryder, adding that the sport is also "very inclusive," with a higher percentage of female players than tennis. Among Padel Tripper's preferred accommodation partners is the Hotel Alicante Golf, which offers on-site padel courts and proximity to what Ryder describes as "one of the best padel centers in the world," Bela Padel Center. "Every padel player I speak to, when they go on holiday, the first thing they do is look to see where the padel courts are," Ryder said. "So hotels and resorts that are adding these facilities now are really positioning themselves ahead of the curve." Padel facilities and programming are popping up at high-end hotels and resorts around the globe. Last year, the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland unveiled its Gleneagles Sporting Club, complete with three padel courts and padel coaching services. In April, the Oberoi Marrakech in Morocco added a padel court to its fitness offerings, while the Baha Mar resort complex in the Bahamas plans to expand its John McEnroe Tennis Center with padel courts in the coming year. Properties in the U.S. are also getting in on the action. The Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa near San Diego, long known for its expansive tennis and pickleball facilities, partnered with sporting goods company Wilson to open three padel courts earlier this year. For the Rancho Valencia, the decision to add padel was driven by guest and member demand. (The property offers club memberships that provide access to its fitness and wellness facilities along with other programming.) "We're always looking to be at the forefront of the racket sports and wellness industry, and we have a wonderful membership base that is very passionate," said Lisa Rosenthal, club director at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. "They were coming to me asking if we were going to consider adding padel." Consequently, the resort converted one of its tennis courts into three padel courts. The courts, which were crafted by Spain-based company Grupo Padel Galis World, feature panoramic glass walls designed to showcase the property's lush surroundings and join the resort's existing array of 12 hard tennis courts, three red clay tennis courts and four pickleball courts. Padel players at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. Photo Credit: Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa Unlike the noise issues sometimes associated with pickleball -- which is known for its sharp "pop" sound when the ball hits the paddle -- padel's reception has been overwhelmingly positive, Rosenthal said. She described the sport as "louder than tennis, but not as loud as pickleball." "There's actually a lot of curiosity because people have never even seen the padel racket before, or they don't know the rules," she added. "It's such a brand-new thing to explore in the racket sports world, which doesn't happen often." The addition of padel has proven especially popular with the Rancho Valencia's international guests. "A lot of our loyal guests that are international are thrilled to find that we now have these courts, the sport they play at home," she said. "And we're really one of very few luxury properties in the U.S. that have padel at all right now."
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New tennis facility to open with special guest
A new sports facility is set to open its doors to the public. Padel Project UK (PPUK), a leading padel tennis operator, has announced the launch of a four-court outdoor padel complex at Worthing Rugby Football Club in Angmering. The launch event will take place on June 6 from 5pm to 8.30pm. Adam Holman, club manager at PPUK Worthing, said: "I'm thrilled to be launching the PPUK Worthing club and look forward to welcoming everyone to our launch day on June 6. "I can't wait to help players of every age and ability step on court and discover just how much fun padel is, and just how easy it is to pick up." The new venue has four floodlit panoramic courts and on-site racket hire. The facility is designed for everyone, from complete beginners to experienced players. Former England rugby player and Worthing RFC alumnus Joe Marler will cut the ribbon at 6pm. He will be joined by PPUK chief executive Tim Foster and club manager Adam Holman for a short welcome. The event will have an exhibition match with PPUK's professional coaching team, introductory sessions, coached games with prizes, music, refreshments and tours of the new courts. Drinks will also be available from the bar. C oaching sessions cost £5 and can be reserved through the Playtomic app. Mr Foster said: "We are incredibly excited to bring this state-of-the-art padel facility to Worthing. "Our goal is to build a fun, inclusive and active padel community here. "This club is another step toward making padel a mainstream sport across the UK, and we can't wait to see the Worthing community embrace the game." Following the launch, PPUK will offer discounted introductory sessions for a limited time. Membership at the Worthing club is free. Residents can join the WhatsApp community via to receive news, offers and session details. Barny Hall, chairman of Worthing RFC, said: "We're delighted to add padel to our offering and give our members and the wider Worthing community something new to enjoy. "Rugby and padel share the same spirit of camaraderie, so seeing the two worlds cross over on our grounds is fantastic."
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Revealed: Remarkable numbers that show the padel boom is unlike anything else
If you are wondering why you keep hearing people talk about padel – Britain's latest sporting novelty – then new participation figures might provide the answer. Data from the Lawn Tennis Association shows that the number of Britons who played padel at least once annually has more than trebled in a year, climbing from 129,000 at the end of 2023 to above 400,000 just 12 months later. It is a remarkable rise for a sport born in Mexico almost 60 years ago, but is now finding a new audience outside its traditional heartlands of Spain, Portugal and South America. Yet the LTA – which has run the sport in this country since 2019 – insists that padel has not damaged tennis participation. Tennis's annual participation in 2024 was measured at 5.6 million, the same figure as the previous year. 'The two sports make good bedfellows,' said Alan Douglas, who works for padel's leading booking system Playtomic. 'I consulted with East Dorset Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club when they put up three padel courts last summer, and afterwards I asked their chairman how their tennis players were taking to padel. 'They're not,' he replied. 'What we're seeing is a whole new generation of people who we've never met before.' And the club was able to take that extra revenue and invest it in coaching pathways for their junior tennis players.' It is possible that this may change. Anecdotally, everyone at a tennis or padel club knows of at least a couple of people who have migrated from the more traditional sport to its brasher rival, especially in the older age groups where court coverage – a padel court is about 25 per cent smaller – becomes challenging. But one of the intriguing things about padel is that it attracts people without a sporting background of any kind. With its underarm serves, and the way the ball bounces back to you off the walls, it is arguably the easiest racket sport to pick up from a standing start. The involvement of numerous celebrities also helps provide visibility. Rapper Stormzy and model Elle Macpherson are among those on Instagram who have posted padel content via their accounts, while other enthusiasts include David Beckham and the Prince of Wales. Whether through influencers or simple word of mouth, the awareness of padel has also more than doubled in the space of 12 months. In 2024, as many as 43 per cent of people surveyed had heard of the sport, up from 23 per cent a year earlier. Padel still provokes its fair share of scoffing from people who see it as an upstart or a fad. In most cases, those people have not tried it. Its strengths include not only accessibility but a high level of tactical sophistication, once you have mastered the basics. As well as learning to predict the bounces off the glass walls, ambitious players need to master a variety of different overheads including the bandeja (a slower, defensive shot), the vibora (a slice-heavy kill) and the rulo (a top-spun variation aimed at the side wall). The quest to improve your skill set – and your ranking, which runs from 1.0 for beginners to 7.0 for a professional – soon becomes addictive. 'The number of times that people are playing per week is nuts,' Douglas said. 'That might calm down, but there is something intrinsically fun and accessible about padel. I love tennis but it's a hard game, one of those learned sports like golf. You can go on a padel court for the first time and it's enjoyable right away.' As regional director for the whole of the UK, Douglas has seen the number of players using Playtomic's app grow exponentially from 31,000 in January 2024 to 152,000 a year later. While court fees can be expensive in London, the average court-hire fee per hour outside the capital stands at a more reasonable £7 per person: a figure that is likely to come down further as more facilities are built. This is another area of rapid growth, with the LTA's figures identifying 763 courts in the UK at the end of 2024, up from 350 a year earlier. Access is still not universal, however. Playtomic's data suggests that 80 per cent of people are using courts within a 40-45-minute drive. There are some parts of the country where you would have to spend three hours in a car to find a padel court. In Douglas's words: 'I speak to Playtomic's other regional managers from around the world, and our view is that there is still probably five years' worth of expansion to come, in terms of court construction.' The cautionary tale here is Sweden, which experienced a padel bubble between 2018 and 2021, with 300 courts rapidly expanding into 3,500. According to Bloomberg, almost 90 Swedish padel-related companies filed for bankruptcy in 2023. But Sweden's population is roughly a seventh the size of the UK's. And with planning permission being much harder to obtain here – especially in light of the noise pollution that padel creates – it seems unlikely that we will reach a position of oversupply. In some quarters, the LTA has been accused of not committing fully to the padel revolution, with critics suggesting a possible conflict of interest with tennis. This argument was cited by the board of Pickleball England – stewards of another growing racket sport – when it won the right to self-govern in December. But the LTA recently opened a dedicated social-media channel and a new website: It also points out that it has invested more than £6 million in the growth of padel across Britain, including £4.5 million towards the development of 80 courts at 42 venues – approximately 12 per cent of all padel courts nationwide. Private operators welcomed the LTA's data on Friday. 'These new figures confirm what we have long been trumpeting,' said UK Padel's chief executive Nick Baker, 'which is our belief that Padel is the best sport in the world to engage the widest possible range of people to get exercise, stay healthy and build community.' He added: 'While the LTA's new digital platforms are a positive step forwards, we should acknowledge the role of the private sector in this journey. Private investment in padel facilities is likely to be well in excess of £100 million in the UK to date.'
