Invented in Mexico in the 1960s, padel became hugely popular in Spain and Argentina before spreading across Europe.
The Covid pandemic accelerated its growth, as players looked for sports that were easy to learn and could be played safely.
Today, participation continues to climb across Germany, France and the Nordic countries. In Sweden the craze moved so fast it triggered a “padel bust” – when a gold rush of overbuilding left empty venues and triggered a wave of bankruptcies.
Now, the UK is rapidly catching up with its continental neighbours. The number of courts in Britain surged from just 72 in 2019 to nearly 1,500 by the end of 2025, according to the UK Padel report.
