Why Is Padel So Popular? The Unstoppable Rise of Padel in the UK
From 15,000 players in 2019 to 860,000 in 2025 — padel is the fastest growing sport in Britain. Here’s exactly why, and why you should already be playing it.
The short answer: Padel is easy to pick up, incredibly social, a brilliant workout, and genuinely fun from your very first session. Those four things together make it almost impossible to play once and not want to come back. But the full story is even more interesting — and the numbers are honestly wild.
Right, if you haven’t tried padel yet — where have you been? Seriously though. I’ve been coaching racket sports for years. I’ve watched tennis participation plateau, squash struggle to pull in new players, and badminton quietly tick along. And then padel arrived — and I have genuinely never seen anything like it.
I’ve watched complete beginners — people who’ve never held a racket in their lives — walk onto a padel court for the first time, and within 20 minutes they’re laughing, sweating, and already asking when they can book again. That almost never happens with tennis. It almost never happens with any sport, honestly.
So what is it about padel that’s creating this explosion? And just how big has it actually gotten in the UK? Let me show you the numbers — because they are genuinely staggering.
“I’m a sponsored Babolat coach and I’ve been watching padel grow in the UK up close. What I see on court every single week backs up every stat in this article. People who try padel once almost always become regulars. The retention rate is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in sport.”
The Numbers Don’t Lie — Padel’s UK Growth in Stats
Let’s start with the headline figures because they tell a story that’s hard to believe until you see it laid out.
To put that into context — padel went from 15,000 players to 860,000 in just six years. That is a 5,600% increase in participation. No other sport in UK history has grown anywhere near that rate in the same timeframe. Not even close.
And it’s not slowing down. The LTA’s own figures show that awareness of padel among UK adults hit 57% by the end of 2025 — up from just 23% two years earlier. Over 10 million Brits now say they want to try it. The pipeline of new players coming into the sport is enormous.
Player Growth Year by Year
The courts are growing just as fast. From just 69 courts when the LTA took over governance of the sport in 2020, to over 1,553 courts across 559 venues by the end of 2025. The LTA has invested over £7.5 million into padel court construction — this isn’t a fad. This is a genuine structural shift in British sport.
“With 860,000 people playing in 2025, over 10 million expressing interest in trying the sport, and around 1,600 courts now in place across hundreds of venues, padel’s momentum is undeniable.”
— Tom Murray, LTA Head of Padel7 Reasons Why Padel Is So Popular in the UK
The numbers tell you padel is growing. But they don’t tell you why. Here are the seven real reasons this sport has captured the imagination of the British public — and why it keeps people coming back week after week.
This is the big one, and honestly it’s what makes padel so different from every other racket sport. Tennis takes months to become remotely enjoyable. Squash requires decent fitness and coordination from day one. Padel? Most people are having genuine rallies within their first 20 minutes on court. The underarm serve removes the biggest technical barrier in racket sports. The walls mean the ball stays in play longer. The smaller court means you don’t have to cover as much ground. Everything about padel — whether by design or not — is set up to get beginners playing real points quickly. And when you’re playing real points, you’re having fun. And when you’re having fun, you come back.
Padel is always played in doubles — you literally can’t play a singles match. The court and scoring system just don’t work that way. So every single time you step on a padel court, you’re with at least three other people. You’re communicating with your partner, laughing between points, and heading for a drink together afterwards. The social side isn’t a happy side effect of padel — it’s baked into the DNA of the sport. In a world where people are genuinely craving human connection, padel delivers it every single session. No wonder it’s exploding.
A typical padel session burns between 400 and 600 calories per hour. It works your legs, core, arms and cardiovascular system simultaneously. It’s genuinely more of a full-body workout than tennis because the enclosed court means constant movement, quick direction changes, and explosive reactions. But here’s the magic — you’re having so much fun that you don’t even notice the effort. Most padel players don’t think of it as exercise. They think of it as their favourite social activity that just happens to leave them absolutely exhausted and happy. That is a hard combination to beat.
I coach players from their early twenties to their late sixties and padel genuinely works for all of them. The smaller court reduces the physical demands, and the walls mean you don’t have to be lightning quick to get to the ball. Older players who might struggle with the physical demands of tennis or squash find padel completely manageable. Younger, fitter players can play an aggressive, powerful game. Families can play together. Mixed-ability groups work brilliantly. That kind of inclusivity is rare in sport and it drives word-of-mouth growth faster than any marketing campaign ever could.
Padel has attracted some serious star power globally. Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are team owners in the Hexagon Cup. The Premier Padel Tour is now broadcast to over 180 countries. In the UK, padel courts are popping up at high-end health clubs and luxury hotels, which has driven enormous media coverage. When people see their favourite athletes and celebrities playing a sport, curiosity spikes. And right now that curiosity is turning into real participation at a rate the LTA has never seen before in any sport they govern.
The LTA investing over £7.5 million into padel court construction across the UK has been transformative. Before that investment, finding a padel court in most UK towns was almost impossible. Now there are over 1,553 courts across 559 venues, and that number is growing every month. Crucially, many of these courts are at existing tennis clubs and leisure centres where the infrastructure — changing rooms, parking, a clubhouse — already exists. That keeps costs down and makes it accessible to communities that couldn’t afford a premium standalone padel venue. Off-peak at an LTA-backed venue works out at around £7 per person per hour. That’s remarkably good value for a sport this quality.
The pandemic changed how the UK thinks about health, fitness and social connection. People emerged wanting to be active, wanting to be outdoors, and wanting to do things with other people rather than on their own. Padel arrived at exactly the right cultural moment — it’s active, it’s social, and it’s genuinely great fun. Sports like padel, pickleball and bocce have all seen extraordinary post-pandemic growth because they deliver exactly what a generation of people suddenly realised they were missing. Padel just happens to be the best of that group.
How Padel Compares to Other Racket Sports
If you’re coming from tennis, squash or badminton you might be wondering how padel actually stacks up. Here’s an honest comparison.
| Feature | Tennis | Padel |
|---|---|---|
| Time to enjoy as a beginner | Months | Minutes |
| Social (always doubles) | ✗ Optional | ✓ Always |
| Physical demand on beginners | High | Low-Medium |
| Suitable for all ages | ✗ Moderate | ✓ Yes |
| Serve difficulty | High (overarm) | Low (underarm) |
| UK court availability | High | Growing fast |
| Average cost per session | £5–£15 | £7–£25 |
| Calories burned per hour | 400–600 | 400–600 |
Where Is Padel Most Popular in the UK?
Padel has spread across the whole country but some areas have seen particularly strong growth, usually driven by early investment in quality venues.
The beauty of the LTA’s investment strategy is that courts aren’t just appearing in major cities. They’ve funded venues in smaller towns and communities across the whole country, meaning padel is becoming genuinely accessible to people everywhere — not just those who live near a premium urban venue.
What Does the Future of Padel in the UK Look Like?
The momentum is enormous and the trajectory is clear. Here’s what we can realistically expect over the next few years.
More courts, faster: The LTA’s target of exceeding 1,000 courts was already smashed — 1,553 courts existed by the end of 2025. Expect that to double again by 2028 as private investment floods into the sector.
Premier Padel comes to London: The Premier Padel P1 Tour — the second-highest tier of professional padel in the world — is coming to London in August 2026. This is a massive moment for the sport’s profile in the UK. World-class professional padel on home soil will inspire a whole new wave of players.
Olympic ambitions: Padel’s governing body gained IOC recognition back in 2019 and the sport is widely tipped for inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032 Olympics. If and when that happens, participation will surge again on a scale that makes current growth look modest.
Mainstream media: As participation grows, so does coverage. Padel is increasingly appearing on mainstream sports channels, in national newspapers, and across social media. That coverage creates awareness, which drives more participation, which creates more coverage. The flywheel is very much spinning.
“You’re early to padel. The sport in the UK today is where CrossFit was in 2012 or where cycling was in 2008. The people who get involved now will be the experienced players, the coaches, the community builders when this becomes truly mainstream.”
— Padel Coach, Babolat SponsoredHow to Get Started With Padel in the UK
If this article has convinced you to give it a go — brilliant. Here’s how to get on court as quickly as possible.
- Find your nearest court — use the LTA’s court finder at ltapadel.org.uk or just search “padel courts near me.” With over 1,553 courts across the country, you’re almost certainly within 30 minutes of one.
- Book a beginner session or taster — most venues run regular beginner group sessions. These are the best way to start because you’ll be matched with other new players and have a coach walking you through the basics. Cost is typically £10–£15.
- Don’t buy equipment yet — most venues hire rackets for a few pounds. Try the sport two or three times before spending money on your own racket. Once you’re hooked (and you will be), check my guide to the best padel rackets for beginners.
- Join a club or WhatsApp group — the social community around padel is one of its biggest strengths. Most venues have active WhatsApp groups where players organise games, find partners and arrange social events. Get yourself in one as quickly as you can.
- Book a lesson — even just one early lesson will dramatically speed up your progress. A coach will fix the bad habits before they become ingrained. It’s an investment that pays off in every single session after.
Ready to Start Playing?
I coach padel and tennis players of all levels. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to take your game to the next level, check out my training resources and weekly tips.
Browse Coaching Resources →Frequently Asked Questions
Honestly, it’s one of the easiest racket sports there is. Most beginners can play a proper rally within their first session. The underarm serve, smaller court, and forgiving walls all make it significantly more accessible than tennis. You don’t need any prior racket sport experience to enjoy padel from your very first time on court.
Court hire typically costs between £20 and £100 per hour depending on the venue and time of day, split between four players. Off-peak at an LTA-backed venue often works out at around £7 per person per hour — very reasonable for a high-quality sport. Racket hire is usually £2–£5 extra per person.
Not at all — and that’s genuinely one of the reasons it’s so popular. The smaller court and slower-paced ball mean you don’t need to be particularly fast or fit to get started. As you improve your game naturally gets more physical, but at beginner level almost anyone can play regardless of their current fitness.
No — they’re different sports. Padel is played on an enclosed court with glass walls that are part of the game, using a solid racket with holes rather than strings. Paddle tennis (also called POP tennis in the US) uses a depressurised tennis ball on a smaller open court. Similar name, quite different playing experience.
The best place is the LTA’s official court finder at ltapadel.org.uk. You can also use the Playtomic app which shows available courts and lets you book directly. With over 1,553 courts now across 559 venues in the UK, there’s almost certainly one within a reasonable distance wherever you are in the country.