The padel” boom” shows no signs of stopping: Italy surpasses 10,000 courts second only to Spain

There’s Spain. Then comes Italy, ahead of Argentina. And the number that defines this global padel ranking is significant. During the days of the Major in Rome, the research center of the International Padel Federation released an impressive figure: the number of padel courts in Italy has surpassed 10,000. To be exact, as the first rounds of the Major unfold at the Foro Italico, the total count of courts in Italy has reached 10,017. A fitting coincidence with one of the four most important tournaments in the world that adds prestige to this milestone. In short, Italy, the second country in the world after Spain (17,000 courts) in terms of number of facilities and players, has broken the 10,000-court barrier precisely during the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel. It’s a record for sports infrastructure that clearly reflects the country’s passion for padel.

The update comes from the FIP Research & Data Analysis Department, which officially reported that the number of courts in Italy has reached 10,017, with 45% being indoor (around 4,500 courts) and a total of 3,716 clubs. To better understand the sport’s growth in the country, just consider that since 2022—when the first Italy Major was held—the number of courts has grown by approximately 29%, from 7,798 that year.

REGIONS The region with the most courts and clubs remains Lazio, with 605 clubs and 2,014 courts (20.1% of the national total); in 2022, there were 1,550 courts (+30%). Next comes Lombardy with 441 clubs and 1,409 courts (+51%), followed by Sicily with 337 clubs and 822 courts. Lombardy is the leader in indoor facilities, with over 1,100 indoor courts, ahead of Lazio (760). Back to the top region, Lazio, there are 129 municipalities where padel can be played (55 in the Rome metropolitan area, 24 in Frosinone, 20 in Viterbo, 18 in Latina, and 12 in Rieti). Lazio has one of the lowest court-to-population ratios in the world, with one court for every 2,835 residents.

ROME ALMOST CAPUT MUNDI Rome is the Italian city with the highest number of courts (1,563, including about 600 indoor) and clubs (417), with an average of 3.7 courts per club and one court for every 2,700 residents—the second-best ratio in the country after another province in Lazio, Latina (2,588). The growth is striking: in 2022, Rome had 1,220 courts, meaning a 28% increase. And here’s a particularly dazzling stat: Rome ranks as the third city in the world, after Madrid and Barcelona, for number of courts. Between amateurs and competitive players, nearly 250,000 people play padel in the Italian capital, out of a national total of 1.5 million players—meaning one in six padel players in Italy lives in Rome.