The British army, a former champion and and the global federation of padel walk into a trade show. What sounds like the setup to a joke is, in 2026, a straightforward representation of the padel industry.
Ben Hanley is not a padel entrepreneur. He is the person behind a programme to integrate padel into the British Army as a model for institutional expansion and a way to bridge military and civilian life. In Argentina and the United States, former world number one Inés Álvarez is working to grow university-level padel circuits on two continents simultaneously. In Mexico City, Ignacio Soto Borja — involved in padel since its origins in the 1960s and now Vice President of the International Padel Federation — is shaping the governance frameworks that will define how the sport is administered globally for the next decade.
Apart from their obvious interest in padel, what do these three have in common? All of them will be in Barcelona in May, speaking at Padel World Summit 2026. It is a precise indicator of where padel now sits as a social and institutional phenomenon: not a sport being sold to enthusiasts, but one being built by professionals with structural ambitions.
The numbers and facts make the case
A quick look at the most important stats of the sports gives a clear indicator of why the recreational activity has developed into a multi-billion euro industry: With 35 million players, 24,600 clubs, 77,300 courts worldwide, the market approaches around €2 billion annually. It is also forecast to reach €6 billion by 2026 according to the Global Padel Report 2025 which is presented every year at the Padel World Summit.
The story is the institutional depth behind those numbers. Padel is now embedded in military welfare programmes, university athletic systems, investment portfolios, municipal infrastructure and corporate wellness initiatives. All those are telling signs that it’s a sport – and hence industry - with longevity. For the sporting goods sector specifically, it means demand anchored at organisational level through long-term equipment contracts, facility supply chains, digital service agreements rather than dependent on individual consumer behaviour alone.
“Padel has moved beyond being a trend to become a structured industry, with professional stakeholders at every level.”
— Alex Ponseti, Director, Padel World Summit
Padel is becoming global
Now in its second edition in Barcelona, Padel World Summit was built to reflect this shift. Spain is the undisputed home of padel as a mature market with close to €900 million in market volume, more than 4,500 clubs, 17,000 courts, over 111,000 registered players. But while Spain consolidates, the growth frontier is moving: Italy, Argentina and the United States are scaling rapidly, the Middle East is investing in padel infrastructure as part of broader sports diversification strategies, and Latin America — particularly Mexico and Brazil — is forecast as one of the sector’s next major expansion markets.
So it makes sense that for PWS 2026, internationalisation is the central strategic priority, with dedicated outreach to France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Chile and Southeast Asia. The aim, as Ponseti puts it, is to coordinate rather than replicate and ensure the global expansion of padel is built on the same professional foundations that made the Spanish market what it is.
The Programme of PWS 2026
The Global Padel Conference runs under the theme “Next Padel: Vision, Alliances and Power of Transformation”. More than 40 international experts address the industry’s structural challenges across six main topics: global and institutional expansion, sustainable club business models, strategic alliances, technology and digital innovation, talent development, and community. The Innovation Arena adds more than 50 further presentations from startups operating at the industry’s operational edge.
The speaker line-up spans the full range of Padel. Bill Ullman, President of the US Padel Association and Co-Founder of the Anglo-American Padel Cup, addresses the growth trajectory in North America. Mark Hewlett, CEO of Soul Padel, covers the infrastructure development model being rolled out across the UK. Patricio Misitrano, Founder of Racket Social Club, focuses on the commercial strategy behind sustainable padel growth. And then there are Hanley, Álvarez and Soto Borja making the case, from three different directions, that padel is being built into institutions.
On the exhibition floor, more than 120 brands present across the full padel supply chain — rackets, footwear, court construction, club management software and digital coaching tools — including Babolat, Playtomic, Skechers, Mondo, Joma, Ingode, Mejorset, Lusotendas, Endless, Padel Galis and Padelgest. The Play Arena features ten courts for product demonstrations, exhibition matches and brand activations. More than 6,000 professional attendeesare expected, with international attendance already at 42% in the 2025 edition.
“PWS is not just a trade show. It is the place where the future of padel is decided.”
— Alex Ponseti, Director, Padel World Summit
So, when the British Army, a college circuit and a global federation all end up at the same trade show, something has clearly gone very right for padel. It might be time to take a closer look.
SGI Europe subscribers can register for Padel World Summit 2026 free of charge using the link below:
Register Free — SGI Europe Partner Access →
