6 thousand fields and 880 thousand rackets. But who earns it? – Corriere.it

In Italy and especially in the big cities, from Milan to Rome, padel mania. The tennis-derived pairs game is spreading exponentially both if you look at the number of players, in 2022 we are talking about over 1 million or 5 times those of 2019, and in economic terms. So much so that a real supply chain of the so-called Padel Economy. Which goes from renting the fields to playing equipment to organizing tournaments among amateurs. In addition to the growing popularity of the Italian national team, currently engaged in the first phase of the Dubai World Cup.

The numbers of the Padel Economy

But what are the dimensions of the phenomenon? Banca Ifis has dedicated a study to Padel that puts the evolution of the sector in line over the last 4 years. The acceleration is evident by looking at the numbers. In Italy they are counted today 6 thousand active padel courts (they were just 1000 in 2019). In 2022 they were then sold 880 thousand rackets against 180 thousand in 2019.
In terms of turnover they amount to Total revenues of 693 million euros that the sector will produce in 2022, up by 25% compared to 2021. The most significant share derives from direct revenues linked to the rental of the fields, which account for 61% of the total. This is followed by the production and sale of snowshoes and the construction of the fields, which require large and resistant windows.

Who practices

Padel – reads the report – confirms itself as a sport appreciated at all levels, with a prevalence of men and in the young-adult range (25-54 years). Penetration across all geographic areas. It is a sport that comes 59% practiced by men and 67% by people between 25 and 54 years old. In most cases they are citizens with a higher than average income and used to engaging in sport continuously. Padel has also become a VIP sport. With many former soccer players from Bobo Vieri to Antonio Cassano up to Daniele Adani and Nicola Ventola, frequently seen on the blue field.

Costs

If not onerous like tennis generally played with two, padel still involves expenses to be considered even if you play in four and therefore the rental costs are amortized. To rent a pitch for a match, you can go from 25 euros per hour up to 40 euros every hour and a half. Depending on the sports center it costs from 7 euros per person up to 12. While for the rackets to weigh are the materials. In fact, the price varies from the most basic models around 40-50 euros to the most performing models over 140-150 euros. The price goes up to over 300 euros for those designed for professionals.