Tennis vs Padel: Which Sport Is Growing Faster in Germany 2026?

Is tennis or padel growing faster in Germany? Padel wins on percentage — explosive growth off a tiny base — while tennis is quietly posting its strongest numbers in over a decade.

You're not choosing between a dying sport and a fad here: German tennis just logged its fifth straight year of growth, and padel has gone from a handful of courts to a nationwide network in six years. Here's what the data actually shows, and why the two aren't fighting each other.

Tennis in Germany Is Growing Again: The DTB Numbers

For most of the 2010s, German tennis clubs were losing members. That trend has now reversed for five consecutive years. The DTB (German Tennis Federation) reported 1,517,087 active members in 2025, its first time back above the 1.5 million mark since 2012, and a 1.72% increase year-over-year — roughly 26,000 new members in a single year. Since 2019, membership is up 8.8%, close to 120,000 new members over that period.

The growth isn't just adult recreational players either. 2025 saw a record 6,982 new kids and youth players aged 7 to 14 join a club, and women's membership grew faster than men's — 14,298 new women against 11,403 new men. With 8,640 clubs and 44,454 courts spread across the country, the DTB remains the world's largest national tennis federation by membership, according to its own official 2025 statistics.

If you're in Bavaria, Munich's tennis courts are a good example of that depth of supply — you're rarely more than a short trip from a bookable court.

Padel's Rise From Niche to Nationwide

Padel started from close to nothing. In 2020, Germany had an estimated 70-80 padel courts in total. By spring 2026, industry counts put the number at roughly 1,500 courts across more than 480 facilities — somewhere between 15 and 19 times as many courts in six years. Between 2023 and 2025 alone, facility counts grew an estimated 50-70% per year, a pace no traditional racket sport in Germany has matched in recent memory.

Player numbers tell a smaller but still meaningful story: the FIP World Padel Report 2025 puts Germany at around 350,000 regular padel players. That's a fast-growing community, but it's still a fraction of tennis's established base — which is exactly the point when you compare the two sports fairly. Curious what a padel court near you looks like in practice? Search bookable padel venues across Germany and see for yourself.

Is Tennis or Padel Growing Faster in Germany? The Numbers Side by Side

Put next to each other, the two sports are growing on completely different curves — and comparing them fairly means looking at rate, base size, and infrastructure separately:

• Growth rate: tennis membership grew about 1.72% in 2025, its fifth straight year of gains; padel facility count grew an estimated 50-70% a year between 2023 and 2025 — a far steeper curve, but starting from almost nothing.
• Absolute base size: tennis counts 1,517,087 active DTB members; padel is estimated at around 350,000 regular players nationwide, still well behind tennis's decades-old base even after years of rapid expansion.
• Courts and facilities: tennis has 44,454 courts at 8,640 clubs built up over more than a century; padel has reached roughly 1,500 courts at 480+ facilities, up from just 70-80 courts in 2020.

Read literally, padel is "growing faster" in percentage terms, and tennis is "bigger" in absolute terms. Both statements are true, and neither cancels the other out — especially with the DOSB reporting that organized sport in Germany as a whole hit a record 29.3 million memberships in 2025. This looks less like one sport replacing another and more like racket sports gaining ground together.

Federations Are Embracing Padel, Not Losing to It

The clearest evidence against a "padel is killing tennis" narrative came directly from a tennis federation. In April 2026, WDR's Sportschau reported that Utz Uecker, president of the regional federation Tennisverband Mittelrhein, confirmed on record that the DTB is training padel instructors inside existing tennis clubs, rather than treating padel as competition to be fought off.

That's a meaningful signal: a regional tennis federation president publicly backing padel integration, not viewing it as a threat. Clubs that add padel courts alongside their tennis courts can serve both audiences and often convert curious visitors into members of either sport. You can read the full segment via WDR Sportschau's report on the padel hype and what it means for German tennis.

Where to Play: Regional Hotspots and an Honest Data Gap

On the padel side, industry tallies suggest North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) leads by a wide margin in court density, followed by Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Cologne is one of the clearer examples of that NRW concentration — you can browse bookable padel courts in Cologne here and see the density for yourself.

On the tennis side, we want to be upfront: there's no current, reliably sourced state-by-state breakdown of tennis clubs or courts that we could verify. The DTB's national totals (8,640 clubs, 44,454 courts) are solid, but a trustworthy regional split isn't publicly available right now, so we're not going to invent one. If you're looking for a tennis venue, search by city on RacketTogether to see what's actually bookable near you, rather than relying on rough regional estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is padel replacing tennis in Germany?

No. Tennis membership is growing for its fifth consecutive year and remains far larger in absolute terms, with over 1.5 million active DTB members. Padel is growing much faster in percentage terms from a small base, and tennis federations — including Tennisverband Mittelrhein — are actively integrating padel rather than losing members to it.

How many tennis courts and clubs are there in Germany?

Germany has 44,454 tennis courts at 8,640 clubs, according to the DTB's 2025 statistics, making it the world's largest national tennis federation by membership.

How many padel courts are there in Germany?

As of spring 2026, industry counts put the figure at roughly 1,500 padel courts across more than 480 facilities nationwide, up from an estimated 70-80 courts in 2020.

Is padel easier than tennis?

Most beginners find padel easier to pick up. The smaller enclosed court, doubles-only format, and underarm serve mean you can rally within a session or two, while tennis typically takes longer to reach the same comfort level.

Is tennis still growing in Germany?

Yes. The DTB reported 1,517,087 active members in 2025, up 1.72% year-over-year and the fifth consecutive year of growth, including a record increase among kids and youth players aged 7 to 14.

Whichever sport you're drawn to, the fastest way to find out is to book a court. Search tennis and padel venues near you on RacketTogether, or if you're just starting out, browse beginner courses for both sports and get on court this week.