Padel Boom Accelerates as England Records First Tennis Court Decline in Decades

England has recorded its first decline in tennis-court numbers since at least 2000 while padel facilities have expanded rapidly across the country. The Guardian reported that analysis of Sport England data identified a net loss of 183 tennis courts since 2023, with the count returning to its 2018 level.

Over the same period, the number of padel courts increased from 382 to more than 2,200. Research by the Lawn Tennis Association, the governing body for both sports, found that one million people were playing padel by May 2026, compared with 860,000 at the end of 2025.

The facility data covers courts operated by local authorities and community organisations as well as private health facilities, schools and sports clubs. It also indicates that some of the shift has involved direct conversion: venues that opened padel facilities since 2023 recorded a net closure of 77 tennis courts.

The overall decline in tennis provision remains small in percentage terms. The 183-court reduction represents less than one per cent of the national total, and tennis courts still outnumber padel courts by 11 to one. The Guardian also noted that the Sport England database is live, so recent closure figures can change when individual centres update their records.

The LTA said participation in tennis has reached record levels in recent years, supported by the refurbishment of more than 3,000 park courts and its youth programme. It said most courts displaced by padel had been underused or in poor or unplayable condition, and argued that adding padel can broaden a venue's offer and bring in new players.

Growth has been particularly visible in northern England. Sport England figures cited by The Guardian show 39 padel courts built in Sheffield since 2023, along with 38 in North Yorkshire and 36 each in Leeds and Cheshire East. The analysis found padel facilities distributed relatively evenly across deprived and affluent neighbourhoods, while tennis courts were more concentrated in less deprived areas.