At the end of 2025, the cream of the crop of padel players gathered on the rooftop of a five-star hotel in Barcelona. Amidst appetizers and cocktails, the 32 best male and female players in the world enjoyed the moment after listening to the president of the International Padel Federation (FIP), Italian Luigi Carraro, reflect on the past and outline future prospects. The atmosphere was radiant due to the discipline’s explosion: with 35 million practitioners globally, a 50% increase since 2022.
Over the next four days, the Palau Sant Jordi was packed to the brim for the Premier Padel Finals, bringing together the top 8 pairs of female and male players. It was a spectacle of spectacular shots that delighted enthusiasts and captivated newcomers, some of whom came from France.
In Spain, where padel is the second most practiced sport after football (6.2 million players), competitors in this tennis equivalent of the Masters tournament enjoy significant recognition. Here, Delfina Brea Senesi, Gemma Triay Pons, Agustín Tapia, and Arturo Coello — the top four players — are virtually unknown.
The image of a padel player is typically associated with a quadra CSP+ individual, hooked on a fun and sociable leisure activity, rather than an athlete competing in the Premier Padel circuit, even though it is broadcasted on Canal+. France boasts 850,000 practitioners (a 130% increase in three years), over 100,000 license holders, but not a single representative in the top 100 global rankings and only one female player in the top 50 (Alix Collombon).
In terms of prize money, there is no comparison. David Serrahima, director general of the sports marketing agency Octagon and also Premier Padel since 2024, highlighted the sport’s unprecedented growth, both among amateurs and professionals. He mentioned that despite the positive momentum among professionals, padel still has a long way to go in terms of revenue, audience, and fans, but it stands out as a unique case with unparalleled growth in all aspects.
The Paris Major is a testament to this growth, with Roland-Garros fully booked for four days in September 2025, while only 5000 people attended the event the previous year.
