Padel growth surges in Italy amid infrastructure challenges

Padel is experiencing significant growth across Italy, characterized by a massive increase in courts and players, though urban planning challenges are emerging. In Umbria, the number of courts has more than doubled in five years, rising from 139 in 2021 to 286. The region now ranks second in Italy for court density, with one court for every 3,098 inhabitants, trailing only Lombardy.

Nationally, Italy has become the second country in the world for the number of padel courts, following Spain. The total number of courts in Italy rose from approximately 1,800 in 2020 to over 10,300 by September 2026, a 464.5% increase. The player base has also expanded from 350,000 to 2.2 million during the same period.

Despite this boom, infrastructure development faces regulatory hurdles. In Monza, a proposal to build new padel courts and service structures on via Michelangelo Buonarroti was rejected due to a failure to meet environmental requirements. This highlights the growing tension between the demand for new sports facilities and the necessity of environmental and urban planning compliance.