Sports enthusiasts and professionals worldwide are increasingly asking themselves this question as padel rapidly gains popularity. In the Netherlands , too, the sport is booming and the number of players and courts is growing rapidly. But does padel also have a chance of a place on the world's biggest sports stage: the Olympic Games?
Explosive growth of padel in the Netherlands
Padel is no longer a niche. There are now more than 25 million active players worldwide in 110 countries . The infrastructure is growing: there are already more than 40,000 padel courts , with an annual growth of 26%. The sport is also on the rise in the Netherlands: there are now more than 500 padel courts and hundreds of associations offer padel.
PadelNL, part of the KNLTB , is actively committed to further developing the sport. The goal is to increase the reach, visibility and professionalization of padel - both at recreational and top-level sports.
Investments in Dutch padel sport
The KNLTB is investing heavily in the infrastructure, coach development and competition setup of padel. More and more official competitions are being organized and interest is also growing rapidly at schools and sports clubs.
Goals for the coming years:
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Increasing awareness: introducing more Dutch people to padel.
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Expanding player base: from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of active players.
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More infrastructure: expanding the number of jobs through collaboration with clubs, municipalities and investors.
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Strengthening coaching: more training and certified padel coaches.
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Stimulating top-level sport: bringing Dutch players to the international top.
How does a sport become Olympic?
To participate in the Olympic Games, a sport must meet criteria set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) :
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International Federation & Ethics:
✅ Padel complies through the International Padel Federation (FIP) , which regulates the sport worldwide and collaborates with the IOC. -
Anti-Doping Regulations (WADA):
✅ Padel applies the anti-doping rules of the World Anti-Doping Authority via the FIP. -
No motor vehicles:
✅ Padel is played exclusively with a racket and a ball. -
Worldwide distribution:
❌ This is the biggest hurdle. For men, the sport must be practiced in at least 75 countries on 4 continents , for women in 40 countries on 3 continents . Although padel is present on almost every continent, this criterion has not yet been met - especially on the men's side.
What about 2028 and 2032?
To participate in the Olympic Games, approval from the IOC is required at least seven years in advance . Since padel did not receive that approval in time, it will not be part of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles .
There is hope, however. Padel has now been granted ARISF status (Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations), an important step towards Olympic inclusion. If its global spread increases and the sport continues to develop, participation in the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane is a realistic goal .
Conclusion
Padel is making impressive progress in the Netherlands and worldwide. The sport already meets almost all the criteria of the IOC, except one: the minimum number of countries where padel is played at a high level. If that also succeeds, there is a good chance that padel will finally become Olympic in 2032.
