The Netherlands has about as many padel players as Britain. It has nearly twice as many courts.
In 2025, 876,000 people in the Netherlands played padel at least once. The LTA's figure for Britain at the end of 2025 was 860,000. But by the end of the year the Dutch had 3,523 courts. Britain had 1,825 in May 2026.
Here's what's behind those numbers, how the Dutch keep playing when the weather turns, and how to get Padelism clothing delivered to a Dutch address.
Padel in the Netherlands in numbers
The Dutch figures come from Padel in Cijfers 2025, the yearly report by the KNLTB (the Dutch tennis and padel federation) and EY. Everything was counted on 31 December 2025. The British figures are the LTA's.
| Netherlands | Britain | |
|---|---|---|
| Courts | 3,523 (end of 2025) | 1,825 (May 2026) |
| Places to play | 780 locations | 551 venues |
| Played at least once in 2025 | 876,000 | 860,000 |
Both player counts include anyone who played at least once in the year, so the comparison is fair as a rough guide. They're measured by different bodies, though, so don't read too much into the gap of 16,000.
The courts are the real story. A few more numbers from the report:
- Courts grew 25% in 2025, and locations grew 15%.
- At the end of 2024 there were 2,828 courts at 627 locations.
- In 2020 there were 475.
- About 424,000 people play at least once a month. That works out at one court for every 120 monthly players, a little better than the year before.
Even so, the courts are busy. The KNLTB's own player survey says the thing players want most is more places to play. Clubs have waiting lists, and the commercial centres are often full.
If you want the same kind of breakdown for Britain, the UK padel statistics page has every figure, dated and sourced.
Who plays
The report gives a clear picture of the Dutch player:
- Most are casual. 60% play once or now and then. 40% play regularly.
- About 35% are women and 65% men. The share of women fell after 2020 and has now settled.
- 25 to 34 is the biggest age group, with growth among under 18s and over 45s.
- Kids are arriving fast. More than 14,000 children aged 12 and under played at least once in 2025, more than double the year before.
- The women's league is booming. It started with 1,418 teams. In 2025 it had 4,121.
Clubs, centres and where the courts are
Dutch padel runs on two models. The report says padel is played at tennis clubs and commercial sports centres, and also at football and hockey clubs and holiday parks.
Clubs (verenigingen). You play as a member of the club. There are 451 clubs with padel and 1,655 courts between them, so 3.7 courts per club on average.
Commercial centres. You rent a court by the session, which the Dutch call pay and play. There are 329 centres with 1,868 courts, an average of 5.7 each. This side is growing faster, and pay and play is growing faster than club membership. The report names meet & play as the biggest booking platform for it.
For a visitor, that's useful. You don't need a club membership to get a game.
The courts aren't spread evenly. Noord-Brabant has the most with 715, and the most clubs too (119). Noord-Holland has 628 and leads on commercial centres with 69. Zuid-Holland has 598.
Winter: why indoor matters
Padel arrived in the Netherlands around 2006, mostly with people who'd learned it in Spain. In those early years there were only a few indoor courts, according to the report.
The league calendar shows how the year works. Spring and autumn competitions are the most popular. To give people more to play in winter, the KNLTB started a pilot of indoor-only competitions in 2024. In 2025, 345 teams entered, up 183% on the year before.
The report doesn't split courts into indoor and outdoor. So if you're booking a court between November and March, check the venue listing says indoor before you pay.
Indoors or not, the bit that gets cold is everything around the game: the car park, the bike ride, the wait for the next slot. That's where a proper layer earns its place. Our Mk1 Box Hoodie is 350 g/m2 with a fleeced inside, and the winter padel guide covers what to wear on court when it's cold.
Dutch padel at the top level
The Netherlands now hosts serious events. In 2025 the report lists FIP tournaments in Houten, Utrecht, Lelystad and Westerbork, plus a Premier Padel P1 in Rotterdam. The Dutch men reached the top four at the 2025 European Championships.
Both the Dutch men's and women's teams also qualified for the FIP World Cup in Doha, which runs from 2 to 7 November 2026, according to the FIP.
Padelism is not affiliated with Premier Padel or the FIP.
Padelkleding, in English
Our site is in English. If you usually search in Dutch, here's where those words land:
| Dutch | English | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| padelkleding heren | men's padel clothing | Men's |
| padelkleding dames | women's padel clothing | Women's |
| padel hoodie | hoodie | Hoodies |
| trui | sweatshirt or jumper | Sweatshirts |
| joggingbroek | joggers | Heavyweight Fleece Joggers |
| sokken | socks | Grip socks |
| pet, muts | cap, beanie | Headwear |
Our prices are set in pounds. Choose the Netherlands in the site's country menu and they show in euros. In pounds, box hoodies are £75, sweatshirts and joggers £60, and heavyweight tees £48, or any two from the 2 for £90 range.
Sizing, quickly. Our heavyweight tees are cut oversized and unisex, so size down for a regular fit. Hoodies run big too: size down for a regular fit, or take your usual size for the full boxy look. Sweatshirts are true to size, and so is the women's range. The sizing guide goes through each piece.
Delivery to the Netherlands
We deliver to the Netherlands. A few things to know first.
Everything is made to order. Deliveries outside the UK typically take 7 to 14 working days from the day you order. That includes making it.
Shipping is worked out at checkout. Free delivery on orders of £75 and over is for UK addresses only.
Customs charges are yours. The UK isn't in the EU, so the parcel crosses a customs border. Any customs duties, import taxes or local handling charges are paid by the person receiving it. They're set by the authorities at your end, not by us.
You pay to send returns back. You have 30 days from receiving your order to send something back, and the return postage from the Netherlands to the UK is yours unless the item is faulty or wrong. That's one more reason to check the size guide first.
Christmas. Order as early as you can. Fourteen working days back from Christmas Eve lands in early December, and customs can add more. November is the safe month. The Christmas delivery dates guide has the full detail.
FAQ
How many padel courts are there in the Netherlands? 3,523 at 780 locations at the end of 2025, according to the KNLTB and EY. That's 25% more courts than a year earlier.
How many people play padel in the Netherlands? 876,000 people played at least once in 2025. About 424,000 play at least once a month.
Can visitors play padel in the Netherlands without joining a club? Yes. Commercial centres rent courts by the session, and there are 329 of them. The report names meet & play as the biggest booking platform for pay and play.
Which Dutch province has the most padel courts? Noord-Brabant, with 715 courts and 119 clubs. Noord-Holland (628) and Zuid-Holland (598) come next.
Does Padelism deliver to the Netherlands? Yes. Orders outside the UK typically arrive in 7 to 14 working days from ordering, because everything is made to order. Shipping is shown at checkout, and any customs charges are paid by the person receiving it.
