How to prosper as Europe's padel market matures (and becomes saturated)
Padel is the new golf, the new tennis, the new everything!
Game, set and match! Padel is here to stay. This intensive and sociable sport is inspiring an increasing number of both sports clubs and private entrepreneurs to install courts. Want to claim your spot as well? Getting the right artificial grass is one of the main prerequisites if you want to prosper in the maturing padel market.
How to prosper as Europe's padel market matures (and becomes saturated)
A Spanish love story
If you live in Málaga, Barcelona or any other Spanish city, you’ve probably known padel for a long time. Since the first two padel courts opened in Marbella in 1974, the sport has become more popular every year. In the early 2000s, there were already more than 500 padel clubs in Spain and many hotels installed courts for tourists. No wonder that today, Spain is the most vibrant country for padel in the world with over 20,000 padel courts and an estimated 4 million active players. But other countries are rapidly closing in on the top spot.
Did you know padel was invented in Mexico instead of Spain?
Enrique Corcuera, a man from Acapulco, is considered the inventor of padel. In 1969, he transformed his home squash court with 3m-high walls, a net in the middle and closed sides of metal fences. Enrique invited his Spanish friend Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg to come play soon after. The rest is history.
Fastest-growing sport in Europe, closing in on tennis
Nordic countries are particularly fond of padel. In Sweden, it has become a national passion in just a couple of years with about 500,000 players nationwide. Even by Swedish standards, a nation of early adopters, the evolution has been extreme. With ambassadors like footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović and ice-hockey player Tomas Sandström the only way is up.
Countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the UK and many others also fell in love with this grassroots sport, making padel ‘the fastest-growing sport in Europe’. Despite Covid, this sport that needs 4 to tango keeps on surging.
3 reasons why padel is becoming more popular than tennis:
- #1 Easier to pick up at beginner level
- #2 More fun and engaging as it is played in doubles
- #3 Less physically demanding, but still a good work-out
The one-million-euro question: are you too late to jump on the bandwagon or can you still start a new club (or a side project in your existing sports club) to share in the joy – and gains?
Yes, you can!
In the beginning, padel primarily developed at tennis clubs, but the tables have turned. It’s estimated that now only 25% of all padel courts are located at tennis venues, since many enthusiasts have opened small businesses over the last decade. The result: a saturated market and fierce competition between venues. But there’s still room for your project – if you do it right!
3 - The number of padel courts you could fit into the space of 1 tennis court.
The first thing you need to thrive in the maturing padel market is a sustainable business model with enough courts. A second is top infrastructure. For the most part, the latter depends on the surface you choose. Artificial grass is by far the most popular choice, but even then, you should know which type is the best for you to install. Let us help you out.
Turfgrass: 6 reasons why
These are the main reasons why Turfgrass is the best artificial grass for padel courts:
1. Technically superior – From monofilament yarns (Advance collection) to textured yarns (Score collection) to fibrillated yarns (Service and Smash collections).
2. A variety of colours – Black, blue, green, fuchsia or terracotta? Give your padel courts the look that fits best with the surroundings of your venue.
3. Certified by FEP – Artificial grass from Turfgrass (Advance, Score and Smash products) is certified by the Federación Española de Padel, guaranteeing premium-quality padel courts.
4. Easy installation – With the help of a certified Turfgrass installer and handy padel kits that include the correct amount of artificial grass and all markings, everything is taken care of for you.
5. Low maintenance – Choosing top-tier artificial grass will save you a lot of maintenance costs. Plus, it lasts for many years, helping you to easily recoup your initial investment.
6. Distributed across Europe – Turfgrass is made in Europe and available in all European countries through a vast network of experienced artificial grass dealers.