WPN report: Search interest in padel up 121% in UK and 72% in US

Search interest in padel grew exponentially in both the US and UK in 2025, according to a new report which breaks down how worldwide and international search interest in padel has evolved, and where it’s potentially heading next.

The Padel Global Search Report 2026, published by World Padel Network (WPN), found that search interest in padel rose by 121% in the UK and 72% in the US in 2025 compared with the previous 12 months.

The UK was among six countries which entered the global top 20 for the first time, with Indonesia – where search interest grew by an extraordinary 887% in 2025 – becoming the first Southeast Asian market to break through.

The report notes that the geographic reach of the sport is expanding well beyond its European and Latin American heartlands.

The figures show that global search interest in padel rose by 49% in 2025, while worldwide interest grew by 1,026% between 2004 and 2025, comparing annual averages. Virtually all of that global growth is concentrated in the last five years.

Other countries with a large increase in search interest in 2025 include Australia (+102%), Ireland (+98%), Ukraine (+280%), India (+128%), and Pakistan (+198%).

By contrast, several countries, particularly mature markets, saw little growth, or a decrease in search interest, with Spain up 0.5%, Portugal down 11%, Italy down 0.2%, and Mexico up 12%.

The report also breaks the numbers down into weekly figures across the year to reveal the floor figures, which show that the lowest week of the year in terms of search globally scored 56/100 – a level that would have been a record just two years ago.  

Among other key findings, padel outperformed pickleball in all 53 weeks in 2025 in a direct global comparison. However, in the US, search interest for pickleball was 10x higher than padel.

The figures also showed that tennis remains the dominant racquet sport in search, at roughly 6x padel’s level on a global scale.

The report’s author, WPN founder Jamie Rowe, concludes that the conversation is now shifting “from whether padel is growing to how the industry keeps pace with demand”.

He adds: “Global search interest in padel is not just higher than it has ever been – it is consistently high, across more countries, and across more of the calendar year.

“The geographic picture has widened considerably. Spain still leads, but the gap is closing. Portugal, Argentina, Denmark, Estonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands have all surged into contention.

“Each market has its own rhythm. Spain and Portugal run hot across multiple seasons. Italy peaks in summer and again in autumn. France has quietly consolidated into a steady, year-round market. The UK peaks in winter. The US is still finding its pattern.

“Understanding these differences – rather than treating padel as a single global trend – will be increasingly important for anyone making decisions about where to build, invest, or expand.”

Not yet a PBM subscriber? Sign up here for exclusive weekly insights into the padel industry, delivered directly to your inbox

For more insight and discussion, follow us on LinkedIn and join the conversation