# Kroon Padel: market brief for spring 2027  
**Information verified to 19 October 2026**

## 1. Netherlands market size

| Measure | Latest verified figure |
|---|---:|
| People who played at least once in 2025 | **876,000** [1] |
| People playing at least monthly | **423,579** [1] |
| KNLTB-registered padel players | **343,121**, up **10%** in 2025 [1] |
| Courts at end-2025 | **3,523**, up **25%** year on year [1] |
| Locations at end-2025 | **780**, up **15%** year on year [1] |

The court stock has more than tripled since 2021, when the Netherlands had 980 courts; however, KNLTB says annual court and location growth is beginning to moderate, albeit remaining in double digits.[1] Demand remains comparatively tight at approximately 120 monthly players per court.[1] ([knltb.nl](https://www.knltb.nl/media/xvtejmk4/eyxknltb_padel_in_cijfers-2025.pdf))

**Most authoritative source:** the KNLTB/EY *Padel in Cijfers 2025* report.[1] KNLTB administrative records underpin registered-player, membership and infrastructure figures, while the wider participation estimate is validated using sources including NOC*NSF.[1] Accordingly, **343,121 should be treated as a registration count, while 876,000 is an estimated participation universe**, not a federation-membership figure.[1]

## 2. Flanders and Belgium

Tennis and Padel Vlaanderen recorded **106,917 padel members in 2025**, an increase of **17.35%** from 2024.[3] This is the latest verified federation-player figure for Flanders; I could not verify a current consolidated figure covering both the Flemish and French-speaking Belgian federations.[3] ([tennisvlaanderen.m9.mailplus.nl](https://tennisvlaanderen.m9.mailplus.nl/archief/mailing-4547612.html))

Flanders had **more than 1,500 padel courts by 2025**.[5] The official Statistiek Vlaanderen infrastructure series reports that the number of padel courts increased by **6% during 2025**.[4] The broader FIP country estimate for Belgium was **2,150 courts in mid-2025**, which includes courts outside Flanders.[8] ([vlaanderen.be](https://www.vlaanderen.be/statistiek-vlaanderen/sport/sportinfrastructuur?utm_source=openai))

**Is it still growing at the same pace?** Not uniformly: federation membership is still expanding rapidly at **17.35%**, but physical infrastructure grew by a more moderate **6%** in 2025.[3][4] The market is therefore still growing strongly on the demand side, but court construction no longer appears to be matching the earlier explosive phase.[3][4]

## 3. Global context

The latest commercial industry study matching this brief is the **Playtomic/Strategy& Global Padel Report 2026**.[6] It estimates **58,334 courts worldwide for 2025** and places both the **Netherlands and Belgium in its “Sweet Spot” archetype**, alongside France, Switzerland and South Africa.[6][7] “Sweet Spot” describes established growth markets in which demand and utilisation remain attractive but value creation increasingly depends on optimisation rather than simply adding courts.[6][7] ([worldpadelreport.com](https://worldpadelreport.com/?utm_source=openai))

Do not mix that number with FIP’s broader federation-based dataset: the **FIP World Padel Report 2025 counted 77,300 courts across 150 countries and 20 dependent territories**.[8] The difference reflects different coverage and methodology rather than necessarily an error.[6][8] ([padelfip.com](https://www.padelfip.com/2025/12/online-the-fip-world-padel-report-2025-a-comprehensive-analysis-of-a-sport-in-constant-growth/?utm_source=openai))

## 4. Who plays in the Netherlands

Among KNLTB-registered players, the stated gender distribution has stabilised at approximately **65% men and 35% women**.[1] The largest age group is **25–34**, comprising **86,758 registered players in 2025**.[1] The report also identifies growth among players aged up to 17 and among the 45-plus categories.[1] ([knltb.nl](https://www.knltb.nl/media/xvtejmk4/eyxknltb_padel_in_cijfers-2025.pdf))

## 5. Olympic angle — correction required

**Padel has not been added to the LA 2028 Olympic programme.** The five additional sports approved by the IOC are baseball/softball, cricket T20, flag football, lacrosse sixes and squash.[9] Consequently, there are **no Olympic padel competition or qualification dates for 2028** around which Kroon can build a truthful campaign.[9] ([newsroom.olympics.com](https://newsroom.olympics.com/record/1285?utm_source=openai))

The LA28 Olympic Games themselves run from **14–30 July 2028**, but these dates should not be presented as padel dates.[10] The KNLTB’s own 2025 report refers only to the *possibility* of future Olympic status.[1] ([la28.org](https://la28.org/en/newsroom/LA28_Announces_Games_Dates.html?utm_source=openai))

**Recommendation:** remove “padel was added for LA28” from all investor and campaign materials.

## 6. Equipment market

I could not verify the existence of a Deloitte publication titled *Benelux Padel Outlook 2026*, nor the claimed **€212 million Dutch equipment-market figure** or a corresponding page number. It should **not be included or footnoted** unless the CEO can provide the original Deloitte document for authentication.

## 7. Racket-brand market shares

I found **no credible, auditable public source** giving 2025 Dutch unit or revenue shares for Bullpadel, Head, Adidas, Babolat, Nox or other racket brands. Online product counts, retailer assortments, social-media followers and anecdotal popularity are not sales-market-share measures.

The requested table therefore cannot be supplied without proprietary sell-out data from a retail panel, distributors or major Dutch retailers. Any percentages presented without such data would be speculative.

## 8. Two launch implications

1. **Build for a large, flexible participation market rather than only federation members.** The difference between 876,000 annual participants and 343,121 KNLTB-registered players indicates a substantial occasional and pay-and-play audience.[1] Lead with accessible trial, demo and rental activation at commercial centres, while using club partnerships for retention and repeat purchase.[1]

2. **Target the 25–34 core without making the brand male-only, and avoid Olympic claims.** The largest registered age group is 25–34, while women account for approximately 35% of registered players.[1] Creative and product imagery should therefore prioritise young-adult social play but visibly represent mixed and women’s participation.[1] Position the launch around measurable Benelux growth—not a nonexistent LA28 padel event.[3][4][9]

---

## Sources

[1] KNLTB and EY, *Padel in Cijfers – Onderzoeksrapport 2025*:  
https://www.knltb.nl/media/xvtejmk4/eyxknltb_padel_in_cijfers-2025.pdf

[2] KNLTB, “876.000 padelspelers in Nederland: groei zet door,” 1 April 2026:  
https://www.knltb.nl/nieuws/2026/03/knltb-en-ey-presenteren-tweede-editie-padel-in-cijfers/

[3] Tennis en Padel Vlaanderen, “Recordjaar voor Tennis en Padel Vlaanderen”:  
https://tennisvlaanderen.m9.mailplus.nl/archief/mailing-4547612.html

[4] Statistiek Vlaanderen, “Sportinfrastructuur,” published 18 February 2026:  
https://www.vlaanderen.be/statistiek-vlaanderen/sport/sportinfrastructuur

[5] Vlaams Parlement, written question 634, “Padelterreinen – Actualisatie code van goede praktijk,” 9 March 2026:  
https://docs.vlaamsparlement.be/files/pfile?id=2316490

[6] *World Padel Report 2026*, report overview:  
https://worldpadelreport.com/

[7] *World Padel Report 2026*, “Market Scale & Dynamics”:  
https://worldpadelreport.com/market-dynamics.html

[8] International Padel Federation, *FIP World Padel Report 2025*:  
https://www.padelfip.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/FIP-WPR-2025_DIGITAL.pdf

[9] International Olympic Committee, “IOC Session approves LA28’s proposal for five additional sports,” 16 October 2023:  
https://newsroom.olympics.com/record/1285

[10] LA28, “LA28 Announces Official Games Dates”:  
https://la28.org/en/newsroom/LA28_Announces_Games_Dates.html