Lily James, Andy Murray and a million Britons: padel’s rise nears milestone

UK participation levels more than doubled in 2025 860,000 Britons played padel at least once last year It was once seen as a quirky upstart or continental fad. But padel now has nearly a million players across the UK after participation levels more than doubled in 2025. According to LTA figures seen by the Guardian, 860,000 Britons played padel at least once last year – up from 400,000 in 2024 and 129,000 in 2023 – as the racket sport’s dizzying rise continued. Continue reading...

By Sean Ingle