Padel is the fastest-growing sport worldwide, but in the United States, it has not yet achieved widespread popularity. You might be curious about how many people played padel in 2023 and what the growth potential for this sport is. You’ve come to the right place!
100,000 players and counting!
According to the latest survey from Playtomic and Strategy&, at the end of 2023, 100,000 people were playing padel in the US. For comparison, it is estimated that 5 million people play pickleball in the US, and 17 million play tennis.
This indicates that padel still lags behind these two sports, but it also highlights that Americans are enthusiasts of racket sports, which presents a great opportunity for padel’s future growth in the country. The reasons for optimism are significant.
From fewer than 30 courts in 2020 to 454 in 2023!
With only Spain and Sweden showing very strong interest in padel in Google searches, the US is part of the next group with a strong interest (along with Argentina, Italy, Chile). This indicates that events such as the World Padel Tour Miami 2022, the A1 Padel New York Grand Master 2023, and the domestic Pro Padel League are bearing fruit. Superstars like actress Eva Longoria and basketball player Jimmy Butler, who have shown significant interest in the sport, are also contributing to its growth.
Although the number of courts is still relatively small (454), it has seen impressive growth in recent years. In 2019, there were fewer than 20 courts in the entire country, 70 in 2021, and 180 in 2022. There are currently 82 venues where you can play padel.
The US: a heavyweight in padel in the upcoming years?
Despite the significant percentage growth, there is only one court for every 1.3 million inhabitants. In comparison, Spain, which has the most padel players in the world, has more than 335 courts per million people! This highlights the immense potential for padel in the US, given that millions of people already engage in racket sports like tennis, pickleball, badminton, squash, and table tennis. It’s only a matter of time before the United States becomes a major player in the padel world.
Marcos Del Pilar, the former Director of the USPA (United States Padel Association), has forecasted 10 million players and 30,000 courts in America by 2030. Do you think he will be right?
