UK Padel Statistics 2026: Players, Courts & Growth Data

TL;DR: Padel has grown from just 15,000 players in the UK in 2019 to 1,000,000 players by May 2026 — one of the fastest participation curves of any sport in Britain. Courts have expanded from 69 to 1,825 across 551 venues over the same period. Every figure on this page comes directly from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), padel’s national governing body in Britain, and is dated so you can see exactly how fast the numbers are moving.

Martín, July 2026

Padel is currently the fastest-growing racket sport in the UK, and the numbers behind that growth are striking. This page collects the official participation, infrastructure, and investment data published by the LTA, so players, venue operators, and journalists have one clear, sourced reference point instead of scattered estimates.

How Many People Play Padel in the UK?

According to LTA data, UK padel participation has grown roughly 66-fold in six years:

• 2019: 15,000 players
• End of 2023: 129,000 players
• End of 2024: 400,000 players
• End of 2025: 860,000 players (more than double the 2024 figure)
• May 2026: 1,000,000 players

Roughly two-thirds of the one million people currently playing padel in the UK also play tennis, reflecting the close relationship between the two sports under the LTA’s joint governance.

How Many Padel Courts Are There in the UK?

Court and venue numbers have grown alongside participation:

• 2020 (when the LTA took over as national governing body): 69 courts
• End of 2024: 870 courts across 293 venues
• End of 2025: 1,553 courts across 559 venues
• May 2026: 1,825 courts across 551 venues

Investment Driving the Growth

The LTA and the LTA Tennis Foundation have invested more than £7.5 million directly into padel court construction, which has helped unlock a further £10.5 million in additional investment — over £18 million in total, funding 112 courts across 57 venues, all committed to community accessibility. The UK Government has separately committed at least £3 million in 2026/27 towards covered Community Tennis, Padel and Multisport hubs, with the LTA continuing to work with Government on a wider nationwide rollout.

Public Awareness and Interest in Padel

Awareness of padel among British adults reached 57% (roughly 31 million people) by the end of 2025, up from 38% (around 20 million people) at the end of 2024. Interest in trying the sport has grown just as quickly: over 10 million Britons say they want to try padel, an increase of 3 million people since the end of 2024.

What Does It Cost to Play?

LTA research puts the average off-peak court booking at around £7 per person per hour, with a doubles court typically costing around £27 per hour in total.

Coaching and Competitive Padel in Britain

The LTA has also been building the coaching and competition pathway behind this growth. As of early 2026, 1,676 coaches have completed the Intro to Padel Coaching CPD course, and 427 coaches have completed Padel Instructor Core Training. On the competitive side, the LTA sanctioned 643 Grade 3-5 padel competitions in 2025, up from 409 in 2024, and the 2026 domestic and international calendar includes 35 weeks of ranked play across FIP Tour, LTA British Tour, and FIP Promises events.

Sources

• LTA Padel — “860,000 players: LTA unveils latest figures on growth of padel in Britain”, 25 March 2026
• LTA Padel — “1,000,000 padel players in Britain”, 15 May 2026

We’ll keep this page updated as the LTA releases new figures, since padel’s growth curve in the UK is still moving fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people play padel in the UK?

As of May 2026, 1,000,000 adults and juniors play padel across Britain, according to the LTA. That figure was 860,000 at the end of 2025 and just 400,000 at the end of 2024, showing how quickly participation is accelerating.

How many padel courts are there in the UK?

There are 1,825 padel courts across 551 venues in Britain as of May 2026, up from 1,553 courts at 559 venues at the end of 2025 and only 69 courts when the LTA became the sport’s national governing body in 2020.

How fast is padel growing in the UK?

Player numbers have grown from 15,000 in 2019 to 1,000,000 by May 2026. Growth has accelerated sharply in recent years, more than doubling from 400,000 players at the end of 2024 to 860,000 at the end of 2025 alone.

How much does padel cost to play in the UK?

According to LTA research, an off-peak padel court booking averages around £7 per person per hour, with a full doubles court typically costing around £27 per hour.

Where does UK padel statistics data come from?

The figures on this page are sourced directly from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which has been padel’s national governing body in Britain since 2020. The LTA collects participation and infrastructure data from registered venues and public surveys, and publishes updated figures periodically on its LTA Padel news site.