Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. There are more than 25 million players globally, the Premier Padel circuit fills stadiums across Europe and South America, and courts are going up in every corner of the UK. So when is it going to be in the Olympics?

The short answer: not yet, and probably not until 2032 at the earliest.

Here’s where the bid stands.

Padel is not in the Olympics

Padel is not an Olympic sport. It was not included in the programme for Paris 2024, and it is not on the schedule for Los Angeles 2028.

The LA 2028 programme was finalised in 2023. Five new sports were added: baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, squash, and lacrosse. Padel was not among them. The door for 2028 is closed.

Why LA 2028 was always unlikely

The IOC follows a structured process for approving new sports. A sport must first gain IOC recognition – a formal status that confirms the governing body meets standards for governance, anti-doping, and global spread. The International Padel Federation (FIP) received IOC recognition in 2018, which was an important milestone.

But recognition is not inclusion. Getting onto the Olympic programme requires a separate application process with longer lead times. By the time padel’s international profile was strong enough to make a credible case, the 2028 programme was already taking shape and the five new additions had been selected.

The sports that made the 2028 cut also had a political advantage: LA 2028 was always going to look for sports with US commercial appeal. Cricket, flag football, and baseball all fit that brief. Padel, despite rapid growth in Europe and Latin America, does not have a comparable US following yet.

Brisbane 2032 is the realistic target

The next opportunity is Brisbane 2032, and this is where FIP’s efforts are focused.

Squash is perhaps the closest parallel. It spent decades applying for Olympic inclusion, was repeatedly turned down despite strong global participation, and finally succeeded for Brisbane 2032 – the same year padel is now targeting. The lesson from squash is that IOC inclusion is a long game, and momentum matters more than merit at any single moment.

For padel to make a credible bid for 2032, FIP needs to demonstrate:

  • Widespread global participation – the IOC wants participation across every continent, not concentrated growth in a handful of wealthy markets. Padel is strong in Spain, Argentina, Sweden, and increasingly the UK. Its presence in Africa, Asia, and North America is thinner.
  • Governance standards – clean anti-doping record, transparent financial governance, unified international structure. FIP has done work here, though the relationship between FIP and the World Padel Tour has had its complications.
  • TV and commercial viability – the IOC is a commercial organisation. Sports that can deliver audiences and sponsor interest have a stronger case.

None of these are insurmountable. Padel’s global player numbers are growing quickly. The Premier Padel circuit has brought the sport into mainstream sports media – including a P1 stop in London this August – and if the trajectory continues, the Brisbane bid looks credible.

What it would mean for UK padel

Olympic status would unlock UK Sport lottery funding for British Padel, accelerating court infrastructure, coaching pathways, and player development.

Olympic inclusion tends to do two things for a sport: it unlocks government and lottery funding, and it legitimises the sport with institutions that have previously ignored it.

For UK padel, the implications would be significant. UK Sport funding flows heavily toward Olympic sports. British Padel, the sport’s national governing body, would become eligible for lottery funding streams that are currently unavailable. That typically means more investment in player development, club infrastructure, and coaching pathways.

The LTA – which governs padel in the UK alongside tennis – has been supportive of British Padel’s development within the existing structure. Olympic status would change the dynamic considerably, potentially requiring a standalone governance structure for British Padel.

For players at recreational level, the more visible effect would be infrastructure. More courts, more coaching, more visible club programmes. Padel is already the UK’s fastest-growing racket sport, and Olympic status would accelerate that considerably.

Where things stand now

FIP has not made a formal Brisbane 2032 application public at the time of writing. The IOC typically opens the process for sport inclusion several years before each Games.

In the meantime, you can track the latest from FIP at fip.sport. For context on how the professional scene is developing – which feeds directly into any Olympic bid – the padel world rankings give a sense of the sport’s international competitive structure.

The Olympic ambition is real. Whether Brisbane 2032 delivers it depends on how the next few years of lobbying, governance work, and global growth play out. Padel has the numbers. Whether it has the politics is the open question.