The International Padel Federation joins the Olympic Day celebrations of the global sporting movement and takes stock of a period of structural growth that positions Padel among the most dynamic, inclusive and fastest-growing sports in the world, in full alignment with the values and standards of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
With 38 million players across 178 countries and territories, supported by a network of 85,000 courts and 27,000 clubs, Padel has established itself as a leading sporting discipline, now represented by 100 affiliated national federations across five continents.
MULTI-SPORT EVENTS The value and competitive maturity of Padel are already confirmed by its official inclusion in the world’s major multi-sport events. Padel is part of the official programme of the European Games, South American Games, Asian Games, Mediterranean Games, African Games and the FISU University Championships. This consistent presence demonstrates its seamless integration into major Olympic-format events.
GENDER EQUALITY AND EDUCATION In full alignment with the IOC Gender Equality Policy guidelines, Padel stands out as one of the most inclusive sports: globally, almost half of all players are women. At a professional level, FIP guarantees combined tournaments, equal prize money at major events and balanced media exposure. This social commitment is also reflected in youth and technical development through the educational programmes of the FIP Academy.
SUSTAINABILITY Padel responds effectively to the modern demands for sustainability and infrastructural versatility required by host cities of the Games. A Padel court is easy to build, assemble and dismantle. This flexibility allows the same structures to be used across different tournaments and courts to be installed in any indoor or outdoor location: from historic squares to indoor arenas, beaches and innovative floating platforms, reducing environmental impact while respecting the urban landscape.
TOURNAMENTS, ATHLETES AND NEXTGEN Competitive activity spans every generation and level of play through a pyramid of more than 700 tournaments worldwide: from the Premier Padel Tour to the CUPRA FIP Tour, as well as FIP Beyond, the project dedicated to amateur players. Particularly significant is the FIP Promises Tour, dedicated to the NextGen, which is set to feature 160 tournaments worldwide in 2026. In the first half of the year alone, 4,750 boys and girls in the Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 categories took to the court, while total participation by the end of the season is expected to reach between 8,000 and 9,000 young talents. Also central to the calendar are the World Championships and continental team competitions (Open, Junior and Senior). The FIP Ranking currently includes more than 12,000 players from over 120 countries, all of whom have taken part in official competitions over the past two years.
DIGITAL AND MEDIA IMPACT The widespread growth of Padel is supported by extensive media coverage: tournaments in 2026 will be broadcast in more than 240 countries, reaching an audience of over 100 million viewers worldwide.
Digital performance is equally significant: first-half trends indicate a trajectory that will bring the official FIP website to 4.5 million users and 70 million views from 225 countries. A similar trend is visible across the Federation’s social channels, where current growth projections indicate total activity from 170 countries will reach, by the end of the year, 500 million impressions on Instagram, 100 million on Facebook, 400,000 on LinkedIn, 1.5 million likes on TikTok and 10 million views on YouTube. These results consolidate FIP as the 15th most-followed international federation on Instagram when compared directly with federations representing major sports already firmly established within the Olympic movement.
Padel therefore celebrates Olympic Day not only as a celebration of sport, but as the expression of a discipline that, in its numbers, infrastructure and values, reflects the spirit of the Five Rings. This is a foundation upon which FIP and its affiliated national federations continue to build, day by day, in pursuit of the shared journey towards the Olympic dream.
