Padel
The tournaments powering Premier Padel's global growth in 2026
Padel once belonged to just two countries. Now, it's conquering new continents and capitals. These four key Premier Padel tournaments reveal how and where the sport is growing.
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It wasn't that long ago that Spain and Argentina ran a padel monopoly. The two countries produced the most players, had the best facilities and dominated the culture as everyone else watched from the outside. Yet in just a few years, that has completely changed, and the 2026 Premier Padel season is the clearest proof yet of how far this evolution can go.
The numbers are hard to ignore. This year, the tour features 26 tournaments across 18 countries, up from 24 across 16 in 2025. Beyond the number and nature of the tournaments, the sport's global dimension is barely recognisable compared to a decade ago.
The 2026 Global Padel Report from Playtomic counted 58,334 courts worldwide by the end of last year, roughly six times the total in 2016, with close to 20,000 clubs now in operation. The International Padel Federation believes the game is played in more than 150 countries, triple what it was just five years ago.
Highlighting the sport's growth are four pivotal stops on the 2026 calendar. Tournaments in Valencia, Pretoria, London and Paris map out exactly where padel is heading, and why this is a pivotal season for the sport’s global expansion.
Valencia: The expansion begins at home
A Valencia event proves that padel is continuing to grow in Spain
© Premier Padel/Red Bull Content Pool
Padel's spiritual home is Spain, and the first of our four tournaments proves the sport is still growing there, too. In June, Valencia made its Premier Padel debut with a P1 held at the Pabellón Fuente de San Luis, better known to locals simply as La Fonteta. The venue has a rich history, having hosted top-tier padel events long before the current Premier Padel circuit existed, and it continues the tradition as one of Spain’s main padel hotbeds.
But why does another Spanish stop matter when Spain already has so many? Because it shows that appetite in a mature market has not levelled off. Spain now has around 17,300 courts and roughly six million players, more than any nation on earth. And now Valencia is the country's sixth venue on the calendar, joining Gijón, Valladolid, Málaga, Madrid and Barcelona. Showing just how strong the interest remains, tickets for the Saturday semi-finals and Sunday final sold out well in advance. In padel's oldest stronghold, demand keeps finding new corners to fill.
Pretoria: South Africa breaks new ground
Federico Chingotto and Alejandro Galán celebrate their victory in Egypt
© Premier Padel/Red Bull Content Pool
In late July, Pretoria debuted as the tour’s second stop on the African continent, along with the Newgiza P2 in April that crowned Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto as champions. Staged at the SunBet Arena at Time Square and originally programmed as a P2, it was upgraded to P1 status before its start.
Padel has only existed in South Africa for about six years, with the first public courts built in early 2020. In that short window, the country has reached more than 1,400 courts, 450 clubs, and an estimated half-million amateur players.
Africa still accounts for a small slice of the global game (a little over four percent of players by FIP estimates), which is precisely why Pretoria arrives at a perfect time for the sport’s expansion on the continent. Fans answered the call with extraordinary anticipation: with 4,000 tickets sold early and finals weekend nearing capacity.
London: The booming capital
Juan Lebrón Chincoa will be chasing glory in London
© Premier Padel/Red Bull Content Pool
A week after Pretoria, the circuit heads to London for the United Kingdom's first-ever Premier Padel tournament, a P1 in a capital that has been circling the sport for years. Olympia, one of the country’s premier sports and entertainment venues, will host the groundbreaking event.
Padel’s growth rate in Great Britain is among the fastest in the world. In 2019, the country had roughly 50 courts; by the middle of 2025, that figure had passed 1,000 across some 325 venues. Participation has followed the same trend, with more than 400,000 Britons playing in 2024, according to the Lawn Tennis Association (close to triple the 2023 figure).
A London tournament finally handed the fastest-growing racket sport in the country a stage to match the hype. While the Valencia P1 showed the sport’s strength within Spain, and Pretoria serves as an example of how to open up to a new audience, London reflects a growing hub catching up to its own demand.
Paris: Padel thrives at Roland Garros
The Alpine Paris Major Premier Padel will be held at Roland Garros
© Jure Makovec/Red Bull Content Pool
One of the season's most iconic stops lands in the second week of September, when the tour reaches Paris for one of its four Majors, held at the magnificent Roland Garros complex. Majors, as the tournaments with the most ranking points and prestige, sit at the very top of the pyramid. Staging one at the temple of French tennis means padel is here to stay. The sport now belongs on the world's most storied courts, not just beside them.
France not only hosts one of Premier Padel’s biggest tournaments but also backs the expectations around the sport with staggering numbers. The country has raced past 4,000 courts and, according to the Global Padel Report, added more new courts than any other nation in 2025.
What makes padel such a fast-growing sport?
What truly makes this growth possible is the sport's essential nature. Padel is easy to start and hard to put down. The court is smaller than a tennis court, the glass keeps the ball alive, and a total beginner can hold a rally within minutes.
Played in doubles, it is social by design. That low barrier is why a curious first-timer so often becomes a weekly regular, why top athletes and celebrities are embracing it, and why clubs keep filling up at an increasingly fast rate.
Why 2026 is a turning point for padel
The Premier Padel season features 26 tournaments across 18 countries
© Premier Padel/Red Bull Content Pool
Each of these tournaments is doing something different and complementary to the others to ensure padel grows rapidly and sustainably. Valencia shows the heartland still has room to grow, while Pretoria continues its expansion across an entire continent. London turns a booming market into a professional showcase, and Paris provides the prestige that takes the sport to the highest level.
That mix of venues, characteristics, and scenarios is what makes the global Premier Padel tour different. For years, the conversation around padel was about how fast the sport was growing. In 2026, it is about how far it spreads and how many enthusiasts it reaches along the way.
Premier Padel is building a genuinely global competition that can sell out an arena in Spain, fill a new one in South Africa, plant its flag in Britain and share a home with tennis royalty in France, all within a few short months.
Where can I watch Premier Padel?
Red Bull TV broadcasts all Premier Padel matches from the quarter-finals of every tournament onwards, ensuring widespread access to the highest-stakes matches. This game-changing partnership continues to make padel available to a wider audience and ensures that fans around the world can follow their favourite players and witness the excitement of the best padel in the world.
Find more information on all tournaments, including ticketing, match schedules, current scores, player updates and all the latest news on the Premier Padel website.
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