Padel started in Mexico in 1969, spent decades growing quietly through Spain and Latin America, and has in the last five years become the fastest-growing racquet sport on the planet. The Asia-Pacific region is at the leading edge of that second wave — and the growth trajectory here looks remarkably similar to what happened in northern Europe a decade ago.
Here's what's driving it, where it's happening, and why clubs that move now have a meaningful head start.
The global picture
Spain remains the heartland — more padel courts per capita than anywhere else in the world. But the fastest growth is now happening in markets where padel was essentially unknown five years ago: Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, and increasingly, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Asia-Pacific market by market
Singapore
The regional leader. First courts appeared around 2019; by 2025 there are dozens of venues. High income, active expat community familiar with the sport from Europe, and a government that actively supports new sports infrastructure. The organised tournament scene here is the most mature in the region.
Japan
Growing steadily, led by tennis clubs adding padel courts alongside existing infrastructure. The Japanese sporting market is methodical — once a sport reaches critical mass in club environments, the growth curve is typically steep and sustained.
Australia
Strong urban growth in Sydney and Melbourne. Appeals naturally to the large tennis-playing population. Australian sports culture is highly social and club-oriented — exactly the environment where Americano and Mexicano formats thrive.
China
The long game. Court numbers are still modest relative to population, but the appetite for new sports — particularly those with a social, recreational format — is enormous. China has the potential to become one of the largest padel markets in the world within a decade.
Malaysia
Following Singapore's lead with growing court infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Strong squash and badminton culture means an existing base of racquet sport players ready to try something new.
UAE & Middle East
Technically outside Asia-Pacific but worth noting: Dubai and Abu Dhabi have seen explosive padel growth, driven by European expats and year-round indoor sports culture. A useful preview of what the trajectory looks like in expat-heavy urban markets.
Why padel works so well in Asia
The growth isn't accidental. Several structural factors make padel particularly well-suited to Asian markets.
Smaller courts fit dense cities
A padel court is roughly a third the size of a tennis court. In Singapore, Tokyo, or Sydney's CBD, that's the difference between viable and impossible for a new sports facility. The economics of padel — more courts in less space — simply work better in urban Asia than almost any comparable racquet sport.
Less physically demanding
Padel's enclosed court and slower ball speed make it accessible to a much broader age range than tennis. The average club member in Asia is working a demanding job with limited time to train. A sport you can pick up in an afternoon and play competitively within a few months is a fundamentally different proposition than one requiring years of practice.
The format is inherently social
Americano and Mexicano are group formats by design. You rotate partners, meet new people, and the result is a social event as much as a sports event. This aligns naturally with how sport is consumed across much of Asia — as a social activity first, competitive exercise second.
Tennis infrastructure is already there
Singapore, Japan, and Australia all have deep tennis cultures. Many padel clubs have launched by converting underused tennis courts. The player base, the club infrastructure, and the coaching community were already in place — padel dropped into a ready-made ecosystem.
The opportunity for clubs: Most padel clubs in Asia-Pacific are still running their social sessions on WhatsApp group chats and manual scoreboards. The bar for "well-organised club" is remarkably low. Clubs that adopt proper tournament management stand out immediately — and players notice. Retention is dramatically higher when every Tuesday night session has a live scoreboard, clean matchups, and a shareable result link.
What the European curve tells us
Sweden went from a handful of courts in 2015 to over 1,000 by 2022. The Netherlands followed a similar path. In both cases, the tipping point was when courts became accessible enough that the sport entered mainstream sports culture rather than remaining a niche hobby.
Asia-Pacific is roughly where northern Europe was in 2017–2018. The leading markets — Singapore, parts of Australia — are already past that initial adoption phase and entering the rapid growth curve. The lagging markets — Japan's mid-tier cities, Southeast Asian capitals outside Singapore — are just starting to build court infrastructure.
For clubs and organisers: the window to establish a strong local brand is narrowing as more operators enter the market. The clubs that are already running well-organised weekly sessions, building player rosters, and accumulating tournament history are the ones that will retain members when competition for court time increases.
Where Areno fits
Areno was built specifically for the kind of social club sessions that dominate the Asia-Pacific padel scene — groups of 8–24 players, weekly recurring events, a mix of abilities, an organiser who doesn't want to spend 30 minutes setting up before every session. The multi-language support (including full translations for the region's key markets) reflects where the user base is actually growing.
Running a padel club in Asia-Pacific? We'd love to hear how you organise your sessions. Drop us a line at hello@areno.pro.