With the 2024 Paris Olympics well underway, people across the UK have been calling for paddle tennis to become the latest sport to be added to the games.
Often referred to as padel, research from payments provider Checkout.com revealed that nearly half (45%) of Brits would like to see the sport added at the 2032 Olympic Games, set to be held in Brisbane.
Padel has become an increasingly popular sport over the past several years, in particular for 18-34 year olds, with 59% of the demographic surveyed calling for its inclusion.
London has become the de facto home of UK padel and has opened more enclosed courts than any other city. The sport’s popularity was only bolstered more with Andy Murray’s backing.
The three-time Grand Slam winner was a part of a 10-year lease deal with Game4Padel and Westfield as an investor, aiming to build more open and enclosed courts across not just London, but the rest of the UK.
Murray’s backing of padel is indicative of the sport’s growth, with Checkout.com’s research showing that over one in three Brits (35%) would consider taking up padel, which rises to 53% for 18-34 year olds.
As to why those surveyed believe padel should be an Olympic sport, respondents stated that the sport holds the relevant Olympic values, such as competition, athleticism and showcasing high levels of public awareness.
Checkout.com’s padel survey comes after it recently announced a partnership with Spanish doubles world champion Alejandro Galán in a bid to further the sport’s exposure.
In partnership with Galán, Checkout.com wants to make padel an Olympic sport by Brisbane 2032, highlighting its high-growth, high-performance approach to supporting the sport’s rise.
New and up-and-coming sports being added to the Olympics is nothing new. The 2021 Tokyo Games saw six sports added to the programme, and the ongoing Paris Olympics added breakdancing for the first time, and the next games in 2028 held in Los Angeles will add six sports to the programme.
