The 2025 padel season is underway with the start of the Premier Padel Tour, once again structuring the international professional calendar with events held across multiple continents. Alongside this circuit, the CUPRA FIP Tour continues to play a key role as the competitive backbone of the system, linking international tournaments with players and federations from different countries. This landscape is further shaped by competitions such as the Hexagon Cup, which is expanding its presence and format, and by the staging of the Padel World Championship, strengthening the national teams calendar in a year marked by sustained competitive activity.
The expansion of padel is reflected in participation data collected by the International Padel Federation (FIP). The number of padel players worldwide now exceeds 35 million, with a broad geographical distribution and a consolidated presence in Europe, the Americas, and other regions. Within this global total, the number of licensed players registered with national federations is above 850,000, a figure that has increased significantly compared to previous measurements.
Growth is not limited to participation alone. Padel is currently played in more than 150 countries and territories, confirming its status as a global sport. More than 60 percent of players are based in Europe, followed by South America and Central and North America, while Asia and Africa continue to expand their player base, albeit from lower overall percentages.
Clubs and courts: the foundations of growth
The development of padel is also underpinned by infrastructure growth. Globally, there are more than 24,600 clubs and sports facilities with padel courts, a network that supports the sport’s expansion both in established markets and in countries at earlier stages of development. A significant share of these clubs is affiliated with national federations integrated into the FIP, reinforcing the sport’s organizational structure.
In terms of facilities, the total number of padel courts worldwide exceeds 77,000. Europe accounts for the largest share of this infrastructure, with countries such as Spain, Italy and France playing a leading role, although the fastest growth is currently taking place in other regions, particularly in the United States, Mexico and several Asian countries. The sustained increase in courts and clubs highlights an expansion that extends beyond elite competition and into recreational padel.
A sport expanding geographically
The global padel map shows an uneven regional distribution, but with a shared trend of growth. Europe accounts for more than 60 percent of players worldwide and over 66 percent of courts, consolidating its position as the sport’s main driver in both participation and infrastructure. The Americas represent the second major hub of padel, with close to 27 percent of players across South America and Central and North America, reflecting an expansion that goes beyond the sport’s traditional strongholds.
Asia and Africa, by contrast, currently post more modest figures, but continue to record steady increases in the number of countries where padel is played and in the development of new infrastructure. This geographical expansion confirms that padel’s development is not confined to a limited number of markets, but is progressing gradually toward greater global reach.
Linking growth to the competitive calendar
The rise in the number of players, clubs and courts is accompanied by an increasingly extensive competitive calendar. The Premier Padel Tour structures the professional elite with events staged in different countries, while the CUPRA FIP Tour provides an international framework that allows players to compete and progress within the official FIP ranking system.
Added to this structure is the continued expansion of the Hexagon Cup, which introduces a team-based format with international ambitions, and the staging of the Padel World Championship, one of the flagship events for national teams. The coexistence of professional circuits, international tournaments and national team championships reinforces the link between padel’s quantitative growth and its consolidation within the global sports calendar.
