Padel Growth — What It Means for Court Projects

Padel has grown from a niche sport into an internationally organised one. Playtomic’s Global Padel Report 2026 counts 58,300 courts, nearly 20,000 clubs and 19.4 million players worldwide. Croatia also has organised competition, with a league, rankings and tournaments.

For clubs, hotels and investors, this development is a good reason to take a closer look at padel. An investment decision, however, cannot be derived from global figures alone. This article explains what makes the sport appealing to so many people, how padel is organised in Croatia and which questions to settle before planning courts of your own.

What Makes Padel Appealing

Several features of the game explain why padel reaches new groups of players:

• Quick to pick up: padel is played with a compact, stringless racket, and the glass and mesh walls are part of the court, so the ball stays in play longer. Beginners therefore reach longer rallies quickly.
• Played together: padel is mostly played as doubles. Four players on one court make it social and easy to organise for friends, company teams or families.
• Compact footprint: according to the manufacturer, a double court has a 20 × 10 m playing area, plus access and circulation space around it. Courts can therefore often be fitted into existing sports facilities, halls or hotel grounds.
• Visibility through professional play: Premier Padel and FIP tournaments make the sport visible internationally. Premidel is an authorized distributor of MejorSet padel courts. MejorSet is the official court of Premier Padel and FIP and, according to mejorset.com, is present in more than 70 countries.

How Padel Is Organised in Croatia

When choosing a site, verifiable information matters more than broad market figures. Organised competition is a good indicator: on hps-cpa.hr, the Croatian Padel Association (Hrvatski padel savez) publishes its member clubs, the Croatian Padel League, rankings, national team information and tournament news.

For operators, this means there are players who compete in tournaments, train regularly and need accessible courts. For junior programmes there is MejorSet Kids, a dedicated court with a 10 × 5 m playing area.

None of this tells you how strong demand is at a particular site. That depends on the catchment area, existing courts nearby, accessibility and the target group. Check these questions for your own site before you decide on the area, the number of courts and the building type.

What This Means for Clubs, Hotels and Investors

General growth is no substitute for a project plan. Different questions come first depending on your starting point.

Clubs and Existing Sports Facilities

An existing club brings members, infrastructure and experience in running play. Check whether the available areas, access and connections are suitable for one or more courts. Also settle how padel will be organised alongside your current offer: bookings, coaching, tournaments and memberships.

If an existing area is converted to a new use, a separate procedure may be required. Our guide to starting a padel club covers the steps from the site check to the club programme.

Hotels and Resorts

For hotels, padel is an additional sports offer for active guests. The deciding questions are the court’s position on the site, opening hours, supervision and whether outside players can book it. If you want to attract guests beyond the summer season, consider an indoor hall or a court covering.

Investors and Developers

For a stand-alone padel centre, what counts is the plot or hall, accessibility, parking, existing facilities nearby and a well-thought-out operating concept. Occupancy and profitability assumptions cannot be taken from general market reports. They must be developed and checked for the specific site.

Outdoor, Covered or Indoor

The building type is one of the central decisions. An outdoor court depends on the weather, while a covering or an indoor hall allows year-round use. You can also start with outdoor courts and add a covering later, provided the foundations, anchoring and layout are planned for it from the outset.

For outdoor sites, the structure, base, anchoring and corrosion protection must suit the location. According to the manufacturer, the Panoramic RC-10, Full Panoramic, FIP Official Court, Premier Padel Official Court and MejorSet Kids are designed for wind speeds of up to 140 km/h in the standard, fixed-anchored configuration. That figure does not replace a check of the foundations and anchoring at the specific site. For coastal and high-temperature locations, the manufacturer offers an additional two-layer epoxy primer for the structure. Our article on indoor vs outdoor padel courts compares the options in detail.

Clarify Permits and Costs Early

Whether a project needs a building or use permit, and which procedure applies, depends on the site, the works and the intended use. Check this with the competent authority and your designer before ordering and before any work on the base. Our guide to buying and building padel courts describes site preparation and the scope of supply.

When budgeting, keep the court offer separate from the other items. Our standard offer covers the court, transport and installation by specialised installation teams. The investor prepares a level concrete or asphalt base, drainage and power connections locally, to our technical specifications; a building, a covering and running costs come on top where needed. Our padel court construction cost guide shows how to build a comparable cost plan. Actual amounts come only from an individual offer and the quotes of local contractors.

Choosing the Right Court

Which version fits depends on use, sightlines and site:

• Panoramic RC-10: panoramic glass with corner posts that can be used for branding.
• Full Panoramic: a 360° view without corner posts.
• FIP Official Court: an edition in RAL 5026 blue with FIP and MejorSet logos.
• Premier Padel Official Court: Gold Edition or Black Edition, half-racquet light posts and Mondo SuperCourt X3 turf.

All of these models use 12 mm tempered safety glass and a Magnelis steel structure with QUALICOAT coating. Like any court, they still need regular maintenance, including the structural polymer joints that hold the glass. You will find the models, the scope of supply and the enquiry form on our padel courts page.

Next Step

To prepare an offer, we need the location, the intended use, the number of courts you want and the available dimensions. On that basis we agree the model, the equipment and the split of local works. Alongside the courts we offer Smart Padel, Vending Sport machines and court coverings. Request a free consultation and your individual offer.