In just over a decade, padel has transformed from a niche Spanish pastime into a full-blown global movement. Today, the sport boasts more than 30 million players across 130 countries and is gaining serious traction among investors, brands, and even the Olympic Committee. The possibility of padel joining the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, openly discussed at the 2025 Padel World Summit in Barcelona, confirms padel’s evolution into a business ecosystem with massive potential.
For companies and investors alike, the padel boom is a commercial blueprint that stretches across infrastructure, retail, digital platforms, and global events. And the numbers back it up. By 2032, padel’s market value is expected to surpass $6B. As the sport grows, so does the opportunity for forward-thinking stakeholders to carve out a piece of this rapidly expanding industry.
Laying the Foundation: Courts Are the New Storefronts
The rise in padel’s popularity is putting unprecedented pressure on infrastructure. Roughly 63,000 courts exist worldwide today, but that number is expected to skyrocket to meet demand.
Retailers like Decathlon are getting ahead of the curve, viewing padel courts not just as venues but as strategic assets. In the UK, the brand tested pop-up courts at stores in Stockport and Glasgow through a partnership with Soul Padel. The success of those trials has led to plans for permanent installations, fusing physical retail with on-site sports activation. In India, Decathlon has already opened its first proprietary court in Bengaluru.
Padel is reshaping how businesses think about physical spaces. By integrating courts into retail and service environments, operators are creating lifestyle hubs that foster community, engagement, and brand loyalty. These spaces build immersive experiences that connect consumers to products and culture in a dynamic, memorable way.
Contagious by Design: Why Padel Keeps Spreading
Part of padel’s appeal lies in its accessibility. Played in doubles on a smaller court with glass walls, it offers a more social, less physically demanding alternative to tennis while keeping the adrenaline and competition high. That mix of inclusivity and intensity gives padel what many call “high contagion potential.”
The result? A sport that spreads organically through word-of-mouth, community events, and social platforms. For brands, this viral quality offers an incredible multiplier effect, especially when paired with the right marketing strategies.
Fashion Meets Function: The Rise of Padel Gear
Where the sport goes, the lifestyle follows. Padel’s equipment and apparel market is evolving fast, blending technical performance with street-style appeal. Lightweight rackets, speciality balls, and sleek, breathable clothing are becoming brand expressions.
Adidas, for instance, has built a strong presence in the space by signing top-tier athletes like Ale Galán and Martita Ortega as brand ambassadors. The company also sponsors the Pro Padel League in North America, reinforcing its commitment to the sport’s growth in emerging markets.
Babolat, another legacy brand, has co-developed a signature line of gear with world No. 1 Juan Lebrón, tapping into the aspirational side of padel culture. These collaborations deepen emotional resonance with a highly engaged, fast-growing audience.
Going Digital: Platforms Powering the Padel Ecosystem
As the physical footprint of padel expands, digital platforms are playing a key role in keeping everything connected. Playtomic, now a global leader in padel booking and club management, has over a million monthly users and ties into more than 4,800 clubs across 49 countries.
Playtomic enables league organisation, tournament logistics, and community engagement, while its backend system helps clubs with operations like payments, memberships, and communication. For businesses looking to enter the padel space, this kind of digital infrastructure lowers the barrier to entry and creates scalable pathways for monetisation.
Lights, Camera, Serve: Events That Raise the Stakes
The emergence of high-profile tournaments is giving padel the spotlight it needs to break into mainstream sports culture. Chief among them is the Hexagon Cup, a Madrid-based event launched in 2024 that’s quickly become a tentpole of the sport.
With celebrity captains like Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Eva Longoria, the tournament fuses sport, entertainment, and lifestyle into a singular experience. Its unique format, teams made up of men’s, women’s, and Next Gen pairings, delivers diverse and dynamic matchups that appeal to a broad audience.
The second edition in 2025 sold out the Madrid Arena and drew more than 30,000 fans. It also built a model for how padel events can function as cultural festivals, complete with live DJs, fan zones, and immersive brand activations.
Why Investors Should Pay Attention
Padel is officially becoming a sector to invest in. With touchpoints across construction, tech, apparel, and entertainment, it offers entry at multiple levels and with varying risk profiles.
And momentum is building. At ISPO 2025 in Munich, the Pickle and Padel Village will showcase innovations in court design, player gear, digital tools, and professional league partnerships. For businesses, it’s a chance to connect with the sport’s most influential players, on and off the court.
Looking Ahead: A Sport Built for the Future
Padel’s growth story is still being written, but the trajectory is clear. It’s a sport that checks every box: accessible, scalable, lifestyle-driven, and media-friendly. For investors, brands, and entrepreneurs, the window to get involved is wide open, but it won’t stay that way forever.
At Stryde, we’re tracking the evolution of padel closely, evaluating where long-term value is emerging and how our platform can connect investors to the sport’s most compelling opportunities. As padel matures into a globally recognised and economically viable industry, we’re here to help you find your footing in the game.
