Padel is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s most talked-about sports, and Merseyside is cementing its place at the heart of that surge.
Recent figures show that over 400,000 adults and juniors across Great Britain played padel in 2024, more than trebling participation compared with the year before and up dramatically from just 15,000 in 2019.
This national rise is emphasised in the northwest region. Liverpool and its surrounding boroughs have seen a sharp rise in facilities and community interest. And in 2025, Liverpool welcomed a host of new multi-court padel sites including in West Derby and Speke to meet soaring demand.
Ignite Padel’s Speke site is Liverpool’s first indoor centre and the venue is constantly fully booked, a reflection of the sport’s growing popularity.
The Padel Paper says Merseyside’s councils are also waking up to padel’s potential. Sefton Council has offered under-used tennis courts in Southport, Formby and Crosby so they could be repurposed into new padel facilities, evidence that local authorities see the sport as a community asset.
Padel is a sport on the rise with over 400’000 people playing in the UK. I came down to Ignite Padel in Speke, where they have Liverpool’s only indoor padel centre, to see how popular the sport really has become.
Amar Dudwall reports.#padel #Liverpool pic.twitter.com/M8XxzIb3EF— MerseySportLive (@merseysportlive) January 12, 2026
An avid player at Ignite Padel, Jason, said: “I think it’s more of a social thing and it’s good for men’s mental health and obviously women’s as well.”
Padel’s appeal comes from its lack of skill required and social nature. Shorter, enclosed courts and doubles-first play make it easier for newcomers to pick up than traditional racket sports. In Merseyside, where community sport is a major element, that inclusivity is being rewarded, attracting everyone from casual players to local leagues.
Jason also seemed to back up this point as he explained: “I think it’s easier to get into than tennis.” But he has seen the remarkable effects of playing five days a week for the last seven months as he adds: ” I’ve lost four stone and I’ve only being playing seven months so I have found a new lease of life as I never really enjoyed the gym.”
With more courts such as Ignite Padel and developments via council support lined up, Merseyside is poised to be one of the UK’s main padel hubs, driving both grassroots participation and elite interest as the sport continues its upward trajectory.
