In just a few years, padel has gone from being a niche activity to a true social phenomenon in Italy. A simple walk in the park or a visit to sports facilities and private clubs is enough to see how rapidly this sport has caught on: padel courts are everywhere and are increasingly crowded every day.
While padel was once considered a sport for a select few enthusiasts, today it is a discipline for everyone—from teenagers to adults, from professionals to amateurs looking for fun.
But exactly how many Italians play padel? How will this sector evolve in the coming years? This article will answer these and other questions, providing a complete overview of the current state of padel in Italy.
How many Italians play Padel?
According to the FIP World Padel Report 2025, Italy has gone from 1.5 million amateur players in 2024 to 2.2 million in 2025. This leap clearly illustrates how padel has continued to expand even beyond its initial boom phase, increasingly transforming into a stable presence in the Italian sports landscape. But it’s not just recreational players whose numbers are growing: the figures for the organized movement are also on the rise, with 86,301 registered members and 2,164 registered coaches. This is a sign of a sport that no longer survives merely on the enthusiasm of the moment but is becoming increasingly structured, even from an educational and federal perspective.
Italy’s weight emerges even more when broadening the view to Europe. In fact, the FIP indicates our country as the second-largest European market by the number of enthusiasts, behind only Spain.
How many facilities are there in Italy?
The expansion of padel in Europe has changed the face of many sports centers, and Italy has been one of the most obvious protagonists of this transformation. You just have to look at the numbers to understand it: according to the report, today Italy has 3,795 clubs and facilities, and 10,220 padel courts distributed nationwide. This data confirms Italy’s central role in the development of this sport, second only to Spain in both the number of clubs and the number of courts.
The figure becomes even more interesting when viewed in relation to the population and facility usage. In Italy, there is an average of one court for every 5,760 inhabitants, about 215 amateur players per court, and 2.7 courts per club. Padel is no longer confined to a few clubs or a few major cities, but is an increasingly stable and recognizable presence in the country’s sports offering. This is also how we can understand how this sport has transitioned, in just a few years, from an emerging phenomenon to an established reality.
How will Padel grow in the coming years?
After a phase of extremely rapid growth, padel in Italy seems to have entered a new season: less tied to the novelty effect and more focused on the solidity of the movement. Today, rather than asking how many new courts will be built, it makes sense to understand how the sector will evolve and what the opportunities will be for those looking at this world with interest from an entrepreneurial point of view.
In this scenario, investing in padel no longer means just catching a rising trend, but entering a market that has already proven it has the numbers, audience, and continuity. The real difference in the coming years will be made by the quality of the facilities, club management, services offered to players, and the ability to create sustainable structures over time.
It is exactly here that the next phase of growth will play out: not only in the increase of courts but in building a stronger, more organized, and more competitive offering. This is why Italian padel today represents not only a consolidated sports phenomenon but also a sector to watch closely for those considering investing strategically in padel.