Padel is Booming in the UK: Participation Up 125% in 2025

While everyone has been talking about the growth of padel in the U.S., Playtomic released new data this week that shows its unbelievable growth in the UK.

The world’s largest racket sports booking and community platform revealed that participation in the sport more than doubled in 2025*. The number of players booking courts rose from 76,695 in January 2025 to 172,564 by December, representing growth of approximately 125% across the calendar year.

With this increase in court bookings, you’re right to expect that many new players have jumped onto the court. The number of first-time players booking through the platform rose from 17,196 in January to 37,411 in December, an increase of approximately 117%. This sustained influx of first-time players indicates widening awareness of the sport beyond its early adopters.

“The pace of growth in the UK over the past 12 months has been exceptional,” said Alan Douglas, UK spokesperson for Playtomic. “What stands out is not just the rise in player numbers, but the consistency of engagement. Players are not simply trying padel once, they are building it into their weekly routines. That consistency is a strong signal that the sport is firmly entering the mainstream.”

But that only tells half the story. To ensure padel’s participation is sustainable, the infrastructure needs to increase as well. Playtomic data shows the number of active padel clubs on the platform increased from 129 to 288 during the same period, while the total number of courts more than doubled from 529 to 1,130 as operators responded to sustained demand.

This data reveals how the UK has moved from the “next” padel market to one of the leaders in the growing padel ecosystem.

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* Playtomic currently supports an estimated 80% of UK padel clubs through its booking and community platform, providing one of the most comprehensive views of participation trends in the country.