BY ALAN THATCHER
Part Two of our report on the European padel scene, in collaboration with our friends at Matchi, takes a look at the Nordic nations, where the sport has enjoyed an incredible boom during the past decade.
In the introduction to the section of their research report covering the region, Matchi begins with an important point that a cool climate is no barrier to migrating a sport from a sunnier part of the world.
The Matchi report states: “Evidence that padel’s popularity is not dependent on climate or culture can be found in the north of Europe.
“In Sweden, the already ongoing rise of the sport was given significant publicity when Jonas Bjorkman and Mans Zelmerlow opened their first padel venue under the PDL brand in 2015, and success led to many more venues opening in the following years.
“A development that is representative of the Swedish padel market as a whole: as of 2021 there were more than 4,100 padel courts in total, the number more than doubling in a single year and an increase of 310% since 2019.
“Denmark and Finland are now seeing a similar development unfold, with a 516% and 592% increase in the number of courts respectively over the same time period.”
Sweden, of course, has seen an astonishing surge of popularity in padel, with the number of courts matched by the crowds flocking to watch leading international events, especially in Malmo.
The Matchi report adds: “Swedish interest in padel has become so strong that it has now established itself as a spectator sport, with online conversations hitting a peak point in May 2021 thanks to the World Padel Tour airing on a major Swedish broadcaster.
“When it comes to participation, topic analysis reveals “courts and venues” make up the largest proportion of Swedish padel conversations, reflecting the hunger to find and book new courts so enthusiasts can continue their regular padel participation.”
With football superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic investing in a chain of clubs and Jonas Bjorkman, the former tennis doubles world No.1 being co-founder of the PDL Group, padel has significant celebrity endorsement – and investment.
More than half a million Swedes have taken up padel, and major court construction companies based in Sweden are now looking to grow their businesses across the globe.
A battle is raging right now as rival Swedish companies scour the planet looking for prime development sites in new territories, with the travel itineraries of sales teams to the USA and Canada, the UK and Australia helping to revive the airline industry after lockdown.
A similar success story is developing in neighbouring Finland and Denmark, where there are more than 600 court in each country. Norway has more than 250.
Here is the English language version of Matchi.com
THE PADEL REPORT BY MATCHi:
https://playmore.matchi.com/the-padel-report-by-matchi
