Padel has exploded around the world. The bigger question now is what comes next.The International Padel Federation says the sport has grown to approximately 38 million players, 85,000 courts and 27,000 clubs across 178 countries and territories. But rapid participation growth doesn't automatically create a sustainable sports industry.
On this episode of The Constant Sports Podcast, I sit down with Ben Nichols, Founder & CEO of Padel 22, to discuss the next phase of the global padel industry. Ben has built Padel 22 into a communications consultancy dedicated specifically to the sport, working across clubs, brands, events, players and other organizations throughout the global padel ecosystem.
We get into:
• Why padel has grown so quickly
• Whether the boom is sustainable
• Why the U.S. market remains such a major opportunity
• What actually makes a successful padel club
• Whether we're eventually going to have too many courts
• Padel vs. pickleball in America
• The future of professional padel
• The role of storytelling in building sports properties
• Whether padel can become a major spectator sport
• What the global padel industry could look like by 2036
Its 2025 World Padel Report counted more than 35 million active players, 77,300 courts and 24,600 clubs, with clubs growing 16.1% and courts 15.2% year over year.
The question is no longer whether padel is growing. It's what gets built around that growth.
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Padel 22 also publishes The 22, its monthly briefing covering industry news, operator insights and developments across the "New Padel World."
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