Tennis and padel are two very popular racket sports in Europe, but they are not following the same dynamic.
While tennis is based on an ancient tradition, padel has been exploding in recent years, particularly in certain countries.
In this article, we reveal the ranking of European countries according to :

• number of clubs

• number of plots

• the evolution of facilities in each sport.

🎾 Tennis: historic roots and a massive presence

Tennis has been played throughout Europe for over a century, with a strong structure built around national federations.
Countries such as France, Germany and Italy boast several thousand clubs and tens of thousands of courts.

📍Some key figures :

• 🇫🇷 France: some 7,000 clubs and over 33,000 tennis courts

• 🇩🇪 Germany: ~5,500 clubs and over 40,000 pitches (one of the densest in Europe)

• 🇮🇹 Italy: ~3,800 clubs, ~15,000 pitches

• 🇪🇸 Spain: ~3,000 clubs, ~10,000 fields

• 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: ~2,500 clubs, ~23,000 pitches

👉 France is also one of the best structured countries, thanks to the role of the FFT and the density of clubs in both rural and urban areas.

🏓 Padel: a recent but powerful explosion...

Padel is growing exponentially in Europe. From Spain, it has quickly conquered Italy, France, Sweden and Belgium.

In Spain, padel is even more popular than tennis, with an explosion in the number of courts in recent years.

📍Some key figures:

• 🇪🇸 Spain: ~4,000 clubs / over 10,000 fields

• 🇫🇷 France: ~1,000 clubs / approx. 2,200 fields (+25% growth by 2024)

• 🇮🇹 Italy: ~850 clubs / ~1,600 fields

• 🇸🇪 Sweden: ~600 clubs / ~1,000 fields

• 🇧🇪 Belgium: ~400 clubs / ~800 fields

📈 A strong dynamic :

• +25-35% more installations per year in many countries

• Boom in private clubs, which account for 60% of new structures

• Strong growth in urban and suburban areas, with indoor/outdoor models

📊 Comparison by country (clubs & fields)

🔍 Trend analysis

• Tennis remains the traditional benchmark, with a strong infrastructure, especially in Western countries.

• Padel, on the other hand, is enjoying spectacular growth, often attracting a younger or more leisure-oriented audience.

• Private clubs are driving the growth of padel, with a strong capacity to open indoor courts quickly.

• In some countries, we're seeing a complementary cohabitation: tennis clubs are developing padel courts to broaden their offer.

📣 And for clubs? The opportunity to stand out with customized accessories

With this expansion, clubs need to take care of their image and offer differentiating products to their members.
👉 My-tennis.fr offers precisely these ranges of personalized products for clubs:

• 🧦 Club-print socks and towels

• 🎒 Custom bags and antivibrators

• 👕 Made-to-measure lifestyle outfits and accessories

It's a powerful lever for building loyalty, increasing visibility (tournaments, matches) and enhancing the club's image.

Conclusion

Between the solidity of tennis and the meteoric rise of padel, racquet sports are undergoing a major transformation.
For clubs, this is the ideal time to invest in their visibility, strengthen their collective identity and offer innovative products to their members.
And what if you switched to personalization? 🎾😉