Key Takeaways
- Padel expanded by 14.5 percent from June 2025 to June 2026, overtaking pickleball after its five-year run at the top.
- The United States now counts 1.07 million padel players, surpassing the previous baseline of 250,000 regular amateurs recorded by the FIP.
- Infrastructure has expanded to over 1,000 courts across 37 states, supported by high player retention reported by the USPA.
Historic boom lifts padel past one million players
Padel has reached a landmark milestone in the United States, officially surpassing the one million player threshold as its nationwide expansion accelerates. According to data compiled by the Washington-based Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), padel is now the fastest growing amateur sport in the country over the past year.
The SFIA findings revealed that padel experienced a 14.5 percent surge in participation between June 2025 and June 2026. This upward trajectory allowed the racket discipline to dethrone pickleball, which had maintained the top position across the American sports industry for the prior five years.
Padel leads American growth rankings
The study tracked participation across various sports disciplines, highlighting that padel took the lead primarily among individuals who engage in athletic activity on a steady, weekly basis.
| Sport | Growth rate |
|---|---|
| Padel | 14.5% |
| Basketball | 9.5% |
| Flag Football | 9.3% |
| Baseball | 6.7% |
| Football | 6.2% |
With this expansion, the sport counts an estimated 1.07 million active participants across the United States. The figure reinforces and builds upon earlier data published by the International Padel Federation (FIP) in its 2025 report, which documented an established core of 250,000 regular amateur players.
Retention rates drive court expansion across 37 states
Data monitored by the United States Padel Association (USPA) underlines a healthy retention rate among newcomers. According to the organization, three out of every ten participants are now regular players, while the remaining seven have taken to the court on multiple occasions—up to seven times—throughout the past year.
Infrastructure is rapidly keeping pace with demand. The American padel landscape now features more than 1,000 courts distributed across 37 states, signaling that the sport has entered a completely new phase of maturation across the country.
