Playtomic report highlights real estate, wellness and global investment shifts

The latest edition of the Playtomic Global Padel Report has revealed new figures underlining padel's continued global expansion, and has concluded that the sport is “transforming from a fast-growing leisure activity into a recognised investment category, a real estate asset class and a holistic wellness destination”.

According to the 2026 edition of the report, which is produced with Strategy&, PwC's strategy consulting arm, padel’s global growth remains strong, with nearly 5,000 new clubs and almost 8,000 new courts added worldwide in 2025 alone, bringing the global total to more than 20,900 clubs, 58,300 courts and 19.4 million players.

The report forecasts the global market to reach approximately 91,000 courts by 2028.

For the first time, the report classifies markets into five archetypes by maturity and demand quality. The UK and Germany are identified as ‘Hotspot markets’, characterised by demand consistently outpacing supply and strong unit economics attracting institutional capital.

According to the report, the UK has grown at an 86% compound annual growth rate since 2021, with around 85% average court occupancy, and approximately half of all UK players reporting difficulty booking a court at peak times.

The US is classified as a ‘Diamond in the Rough’, a high-potential early-stage market with the highest average booking price in the world at €92 per session, and significant long-term upside as structural barriers progressively ease.

Pablo Carro, co-founder and CCO of Playtomic, said: "Padel is no longer just a sport. The data and insights from our platform make clear that this is a global business attracting serious investment, reshaping real estate and redefining what a sports club can be.

“With nearly 20 million players worldwide and markets like the UK and Germany growing at extraordinary pace, the opportunity ahead is the most compelling in sport today."

Miren Tellería, partner and real estate sector lead at PwC, added: "The sports industry is progressively attracting greater attention from investors, and padel is emerging as one of the disciplines gaining traction as an investment opportunity thanks to its strong growth and the solid performance of its fundamentals.”

Padel emerges as a real estate and investment asset

This year's report includes a new section focused on padel as a real estate asset. It notes that sports-related real estate has moved from a niche category to a recognised investment area, with institutional funds, developers and family offices actively deploying capital into padel-backed projects.

“Global real estate advisory firms including JLL and CBRE have created dedicated sports and entertainment real estate practices,” it states. “Padel courts are increasingly integrated into residential developments, hospitality assets and mixed-use schemes as standard amenities.

“In Portugal, the Quinta do Lago sports-residential development has delivered approximately 30% residential value appreciation alongside owner retention rates above 75%, driven in part by its padel-anchored sports masterplan.”

The report also points to a “fundamental shift” in how clubs operate, with nine out of ten top-performing clubs now offering off-court services including fitness classes, sauna and recovery facilities, social events and food and beverage.

The data also shows that top-performing clubs generate up to five times more booking revenue per court per month than bottom performers.

“Clubs are evolving from court-booking utilities into holistic wellness destinations, functioning as third spaces where players gather before and after play,” the report concludes.

Additional findings include:

· Nearly 5,000 new padel clubs opened globally in 2025, averaging nearly 14 new clubs per day

· 7,898 new padel courts were built globally in 2025, averaging nearly 22 new courts per day

· France added more courts than any other country in 2025, with 1,142 new courts

· Indonesia added approximately 800 courts in 2025, driven by major metropolitan hubs and niche resort locations

· The global padel equipment market reached €598m in 2025, growing at a 34% CAGR since 2019

The full 2026 Playtomic Global Padel Report is now available to download at https://playtomic.com/global-padel-report.

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