Padel players, courts, costs: Italy’s figures

There are way above 2,500 Padel courts affiliated with the Italian Tennis Federation (the updated end-of-April figure was 2,718), with an exponential increase in the last two years and very significant growth margins in every part of the country, despite the pandemic. So much so that numerous Italian companies have opted to invest in installing Padel courts and equipment.

As for memberships, there are 37,000: 24,948 are FIT Padel memberships valid for competing and 12,521 are non-competitive FIT Padel memberships. Together with the number of players, including many under 18s, the number of teachers and instructors being trained at the Roberto Lombardi Institute, as well as in affiliated padel schools, is also constantly growing. There are currently 262, though new ones are continuously being established in order to satisfy the ever increasing demand for courses, lessons and practice sessions.

Generally, a padel court rental session lasts one hour and a half, at a rate ranging from 30 to 50 euros depending on the time slot, season, heating and lighting. The average price of a top-of-the-range racket made with the best materials is around 300 euros, but there are excellent ones already from around 150 euros. Those who play frequently (twice a week on average) should try to change their racket yearly, in order to always perform at the best possible level, avoiding wear and tear. Finally, a 3-ball tube costs around 5 euros.