Padel in Australia — From Expat Sport to National Phenomenon (2026 Guide)

Australia is one of padel’s biggest success stories outside Europe and South America. In just a few years, the sport has gone from a handful of courts built for Spanish expats to a nationwide movement backed by Tennis Australia, featured in mainstream media, and embraced by tens of thousands of players. Australia’s climate, sports culture, and infrastructure make it a natural home for padel.

The padel wave has well and truly hit down under.

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How Padel Arrived in Australia

Padel’s Australian story begins with the Spanish and Latin American expat communities in Sydney and Melbourne. In the mid-2010s, the first padel courts were built by entrepreneurs from these communities who missed the sport from home. Early facilities in Sydney’s Olympic Park area and Melbourne’s inner suburbs attracted a loyal but small player base.

The game-changing moment came when Tennis Australia officially recognised padel and began investing in the sport. Seeing padel as complementary to tennis rather than a competitor, Tennis Australia committed funding to court construction, coaching programmes, and national competition structures. This institutional backing gave padel instant credibility and access to Australia’s extensive tennis club network. For the full history of the sport, see our history of padel.

By 2024, padel had moved from community courts to purpose-built centres and tennis clubs across all major Australian cities.

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Player Base and Participation

As of 2026, Australia has an estimated 100,000+ active padel players, a remarkable number given the sport barely existed in the country a decade ago.

Padel’s appeal in Australia is driven by several factors:

• Climate — Australia’s warm weather and outdoor lifestyle make padel a natural fit. Outdoor courts can be used year-round in most cities.
• Tennis crossover — Australia has millions of tennis players, and padel offers them a fresh, more social alternative. The smaller court and doubles format appeal to players looking for something new.
• Social culture — Australians love social sport, and padel’s doubles-only format fits perfectly. Post-match drinks at the club are standard.
• Accessibility — Like everywhere, padel’s easy learning curve attracts new players who find tennis too difficult to pick up as adults.

The sport has found particular traction among 25–45-year-old professionals in capital cities, though participation is broadening across demographics.

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Courts and Infrastructure

Australia has over 180 padel courts as of 2026, with significant investment flowing into new construction.

Key Cities for Padel

• Sydney — Australia’s padel capital, with courts at Sydney Olympic Park, Eastern Suburbs, and Western Sydney. Sydney hosts the country’s largest padel events and has the most diverse range of facilities.
• Melbourne — A close second to Sydney, with courts spread across the inner suburbs and outer areas. Melbourne’s strong sports culture and large Spanish-speaking community have fuelled growth.
• Brisbane — Queensland’s padel scene has grown rapidly, helped by the climate that allows outdoor play year-round. New facilities in the inner city and Gold Coast corridor serve a growing player base.
• Perth — Western Australia has embraced padel, with several facilities catering to both the expat community and local converts to the sport.
• Adelaide — South Australia’s padel scene is smaller but growing, with new courts opening in 2025–2026.

Many established tennis clubs across Australia have added padel courts, leveraging their existing land, facilities, and membership base to introduce the sport.

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Top Australian Padel Players

Australia’s competitive padel scene is developing rapidly:

National Team

• Australia has fielded national teams at FIP World Championships and Asia-Pacific padel events, gaining international experience against established nations.
• The team draws from a mix of dedicated padel players and former tennis/squash professionals who have transitioned to the sport.

Key Players

• Tennis crossovers — Several former professional tennis players have moved to padel, bringing technical excellence and competitive experience that has raised the standard of Australian play.
• Expat players — Spanish, Argentine, and other Latin American players based in Australia have been instrumental in developing the competitive scene and coaching local talent.
• Junior development — Padel Australia has launched youth programmes targeting tennis-playing juniors, building a pipeline of future talent.

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Padel Australia and Tennis Australia

Padel Australia, operating under the Tennis Australia umbrella, is the national governing body for the sport. This unique structure gives padel access to:

• Tennis Australia’s national network of clubs and facilities
• Established coaching frameworks adapted for padel
• National competition structures and rankings
• Funding for infrastructure development
• Media and marketing support through Tennis Australia’s channels

Tennis Australia’s approach has been widely praised as a model for how a major national sports federation can embrace padel. Rather than seeing padel as a threat, Tennis Australia treats it as a growth opportunity that brings new participants into the racket sport ecosystem.

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Growth and Future Outlook

Padel in Australia is on a steep growth curve. Key trends for 2026 and beyond include:

• Accelerating court construction — Both Tennis Australia-funded and private commercial facilities are being built at pace across all states.
• Media coverage — Australian sports media has embraced padel, with regular coverage on TV, digital platforms, and social media driving awareness.
• Professional competition — Australia is building a domestic competitive calendar with ranked tournaments and increasing prize money, and has bid to host international Premier Padel events.
• School and university programmes — Padel introduction programmes are running in schools, aiming to build the sport’s base among young Australians.
• Regional expansion — After establishing in capital cities, padel is expanding to regional centres and resort towns.

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What Makes Padel in Australia Unique

Australia’s padel story is unique because of the Tennis Australia partnership. No other country has seen its national tennis federation so actively champion padel, creating a model of integration rather than competition between the two sports. This gives Australian padel a structural advantage in terms of facilities, coaching, and institutional support.

The Australian padel community is also distinctive for its diversity — players from European, Latin American, and Australian backgrounds come together on court, creating a cosmopolitan sporting culture. For visitors, Australia’s padel clubs offer excellent facilities, a welcoming atmosphere, and the chance to play in some of the world’s best weather.