Is there a padel industry? According to the FITP report, there were 2.1 million players in Italy in 2025. “And are these two million people fueling a real industry? Based on this data, sooner or later we’ll need to see evidence of promising young players or amateurs who ‘grow’ within the sport’s structure—perhaps some will become managers, referees, or instructors.” This observation comes from Coach Marco Paialunga, co-host of our Total Padel podcast, who, as a national-level coach, has a unique vantage point on the nature of this sector in Italy. The sport is still seeking its definitive evolution as a sporting product, without being cannibalized by the economic side of things. “Markets thrive on waves, which can rise and fall, while the system always supports you,” Marco continued in his remarks, which offer an ideal snapshot of the current state of the Italian padel movement. Padel was born in the wake of enthusiasm and a sudden surge in popularity, and it quickly secured an unimaginable number of players in a short time, but the risk is that, in the long term, the system may fail to make progress. At Padelbiz, we’ve been addressing this issue for several months now, thanks to the invaluable work carried out by O&B, led by Adelio Rosate, who has repeatedly emphasized the need for the sport to evolve from a mere speculative phenomenon tied to court rentals into a structured movement, focusing on young people and true affordability.
This transition cannot happen overnight, nor is it simple or a foregone conclusion. In 2025, the number of Under- 18 players in Italy stood at 10% of the total, a figure that remained stable compared to 2024. While we must remember that this is all a relatively recent development, this stagnation should at the very least give us pause for thought. What is being done right now to attract younger players? How much are clubs investing in developing youth programs? A few months ago, in his column, Adelio Rosate summed it up this way: “In some centers, we see a lot of resources being squandered: too many tournaments—some of them of poor quality—with which organizers understandably seek to fill available slots. Prioritizing short-term tactics over long-term strategy (youth development) risks being detrimental.”
Its economic efficiency, after all, has made it far too attractive a product not to be exploited to the fullest. We discuss this on pages 10–11, where—drawing on Playtomic’s Global Padel Report—we analyze the tremendous financial success of our sport, which can generate excellent revenue per square meter. Padel has managed to transform unproductive spaces into high-yield profit centers, and breaking away from this model may not be very appealing. However, a long-term vision is needed, with the Federation taking the lead in guiding and promoting the ideal strategies, perhaps building on its “Racchette in Classe” project. “To date, Italy ranks second in the world in terms of courts and facilities; it’s very well marketed, but we haven’t managed to turn it into a sports product,” said Marco Paialunga during his insightful remarks.
But at the end of the day, we’re only at the beginning, and it’s reasonable to remain optimistic. Even when events of theoretically national significance—such as the Serie A and Serie B finals—seem to be somewhat overlooked and not fully appreciated (p. 14). Elsewhere, however, they’re doing things on a grand scale. In London, for example, where one of the most successful Premier Padel tournaments ever took place, thanks especially to the off-court activities and community engagement (p. 28). Or in Paris, where the Roland Garros Major reaffirmed its status as the most prestigious tournament on the calendar, delivering one of the most thrilling men’s finals in recent years—one that could serve as the ideal source of inspiration for all young players
Daniele Pansardi
daniele.pansardi@mag-net.it
