Padel’s Online Popularity Surges, Challenging Customary Racket Sports

Padel is experiencing a surge in online interest, according to research from the International Federation of padel (FIP). The analysis, led by Carlo Ferrara,​ head of Research and Data Analysis at FIP, indicates that‌ padel’s web presence has⁣ surpassed⁤ ping pong and​ is closing‌ in on badminton in terms ‌of search​ volume. While tennis remains the dominant racket sport online,padel is rapidly gaining ground.

Padel’s⁣ Growing Digital Footprint

Ferrara’s analysis,utilizing Google Trends data,examined search trends from 2020 to the‍ first quarter of 2025. the study compared the ​search frequency of “padel” with other established racket sports, revealing a significant increase in​ padel’s online visibility.

The first quarter of 2025 marked a historic high‍ for padel searches, exceeding ping pong for ⁢the first time. For ‌every 105 searches for “padel,” there⁣ were 100 for “ping pong,”‍ a notable shift from 2024 when ping pong held a significant lead.

Badminton in sight

The comparison with badminton is particularly striking. A year ago, badminton searches were more than double those of padel. Though, in the first quarter ‍of 2025, padel searches reached 72.5 for every 100 badminton searches, signaling a tightening race for the ​second⁤ most-searched racket sport globally, behind tennis.

While tennis maintains a⁣ considerable lead, ⁣padel is narrowing the gap. Currently, there are‍ 14 searches for padel for every 100 for tennis, a ample increase from 2020 when‌ the ⁢ratio was 7.1 to 100.

Pickleball and Squash Comparisons

The analysis also highlighted a shift in ⁢online interest compared to pickleball, a sport experiencing rapid growth⁢ in the United States. After trailing pickleball in ‌online ⁢searches,padel has overtaken it in the ‍first part of 2025. Padel recorded 115 searches for every‍ 100, compared to‍ 118 searches for pickleball.⁤ Squash, ⁢despite its upcoming⁤ debut at the 2028 Olympics, lags significantly behind. Ferrara’s analysis indicates that padel’s search volume was nearly four times that of squash during the first three months of 2025.

These findings suggest that padel is rapidly⁤ gaining popularity worldwide, not only in participation but also in online visibility. The data indicates that padel is establishing itself as a mainstream sport with ​a promising future, potentially even with Olympic ⁣aspirations.