Padel continues its meteoric rise globally, and the newly released 2025 Playtomic Global Padel Report paints the clearest picture yet of a sport maturing fast, spreading wide, and showing serious potential for Olympic inclusion.
Below are the 10 key insights every club, investor, and padel enthusiast—especially here in Ireland—should take to heart:
1. Explosive Growth in Clubs and Courts
In 2024, a remarkable 3,282 new padel clubs opened worldwide—nearly 9 per day—with over 7,000 new courts, bringing the total past 50,000.
2. A Truly Global Surge
From established hubs to emerging markets like Indonesia, India, Mexico, Colombia, and yes—from a local perspective—Ireland, padel’s global reach is deepening.
3. Padel is Becoming Big Business
GMV per court has soared—Indonesia: +173%, UK: +74%—showing that clubs with open-play formats and strong digital tools outperform peers. (GMV stands for Gross Monetary value evolution, ie. €k per court and month)
4. Digitalization is a Deciding Factor
Clubs with seamless digital booking and engagement tools are pulling ahead—often enjoying 3–5× better performance than competitors nearby.
5. Pickleball and Padel: Coexisting
In the U.S., 30% of padel clubs also have pickleball courts. But padel retains stronger stickiness—92% of new players return for a third session.
6. The Booking Landscape is Shifting
Newer markets still favour classes and socials, while mature markets (Spain, UK) trend toward open matches and private bookings with higher margins.
7. Indoor vs. Outdoor: Weather Wins
In climates like Ireland and the UK, indoor courts deliver better occupancy and pricing. See our guide to where to play indoor padel in Ireland for top venues.
8. Padel Has Left the Country Club
The shift from exclusive private-club models to app-based “pay-to-play” has made padel more accessible.
9. Olympic Ambitions are Real—But Challenging
With 87 national padel federations, padel aligns well with Olympic values—but elite-level competition is still concentrated in Spain and Argentina. The sport is actively campaigning for inclusion in Brisbane 2032.
10. Sustainable, Steady Growth Ahead
Post‑COVID expansion has shifted toward solid, infrastructure-driven development—more stable and sustainable global growth.
Why These Insights Matter for Ireland
Ireland is part of this growth story. Padel clubs are blossoming. Digital booking via Playtomic and community-building platforms like Playmate are gaining traction.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Playtomic Report confirms: padel is more than a trend—it’s a growing, global movement.
