BoumTAC

The Padel Theory

Published on April 19, 2025

During my first journey to Montastruc-la-Conseillère, I noticed while walking past Lake Union, a padel court. I think it's recent because I had never seen it before when passing by bike.

The Rise of Padel

Padel was almost an unknown sport 5 years ago. Since then, everyone plays it. It's the most popular sport on LinkedIn, the network of losers!

The Numbers

In 2017, there were 17,000 members in the French padel federation. The number of practitioners supposedly doubled in the last two years to reach 600,000 members in 2024.

In 2020, there were 998 courts on French territory. In 2025, 4,800 courts! Quadrupled in 4 years.

This unknown sport literally exploded in France.

As for the average age, it's around 38 years old. It's a fairly aged population compared to other sports.

The Craze and Trends in Sports

During my walk, I thought a lot about the enthusiasm that certain sports possess. Padel is exploding, but before there was CrossFit or more recently Hyrox which is exploding in the same way as padel.

I want to clarify that I have nothing against padel (or any other sport). I think it's excellent to practice a sport. What shocks me is the reason why practitioners exercise this sport.

What surprises me about the practice of these sports — this sudden enthusiasm, is this way of following all trends. I'm convinced that these people don't particularly like this sport but practice it because it's "in" to do padel.

It's really the cliché of the HR Director who goes to play padel on Tuesday evening with the HR Manager to do a bit of networking and have the feeling of being part of the elite of successful executives. I find it ridiculous.

It's the same pattern in other sports: CrossFit a decade ago that had exploded is now about to become outdated because what's trendy now is Hyrox. You have to stay "in".

Trends and Self-Esteem

When we're teenagers, we're influenced by trends and fashions. It's normal, because we're looking to feel accepted and to be fashionable. We want the latest pair of Nike shoes to be popular and well-regarded by others; we listen to the same music as others to not be a nerd, we use the same expressions to not be a loser, etc.

It's normal, we're young people discovering ourselves, wanting to please others and the opposite sex. We all go through this stage of life. This is how we discover who we are. We reproduce what others do to be accepted.

This stage is essential to our personal development, but it's supposed to stop when we become adults. We accept who we are, what we like and what we want to do.

But why do some have the same behavior at 35? Adolescence is at 15. There, you're 20 years behind — you should think about evolving.

Why copy others to do the same sport? You're grown up. Do the sport you love, if you want to play football, play football; if you want to do climbing, do climbing; if you love tennis, play tennis; if you want to discover fencing, find a fencing club near you and learn this sport.

But why wait for a sport to become popular by simple trend effect to get into it? If the sport had never become popular, 90% of practitioners would never have held a padel racket in their lives.

Honestly, I find it super sad. These are grown adults, often from well-off classes in this sport — they're not the dumbest in society. Yet, they act like teenagers searching for personality. You don't have to have self-respect to be a simple follower like that. In their place, I would be ashamed not to assume my ideas and desires.

Shame is an important feeling, some see it as a weakness but it's a strength. Shame is what allows us not to do certain things, not to have certain behaviors. Being ashamed is being aware of what is good and what is bad. Without shame, we can't show courage and evolve.

At 40, not having personality and being a simple follower is pitiful. It's this type of individual that we find in the bullshit of agile, adult and graduated but incapable of thinking for themselves, making measured decisions and showing a minimum of common sense.

The Financial Cost of This Trend

These last 5 years, it's about 1,000 new padel courts created per year. These are new businesses that are created to build, maintain and manage these courts.

That's great, it creates business. But what will it be like in 10 years? The sport will have become outdated, 90% of practitioners will have moved on to the new sport of the moment because they are followers. What will become of all these businesses and courts?

The businesses will reconvert to replace all these padel courts with badminton courts or any other sport that will be trendy in 2035.

It's an endless circle to follow trendy sports. I find it deplorable.

Other Sports

It's the same process with other sports. People found themselves a sudden passion for cross-training a decade ago under the name of CrossFit — even though this sport had existed for decades antiquity under the name of Olympic Games.

Why a sudden enthusiasm for CrossFit when a year before, cross-training was seen as outdated?

10 years have passed, CrossFit boxes have sprouted everywhere, the trend has changed and practitioners have turned to Hyrox. It's still the same activity, but the name has changed. Except that one becomes outdated and the other becomes ultra popular.

Conclusion

I repeat once more, I have absolutely nothing against padel, Hyrox or any other trendy sport. I find it very good. It's a fun, social sport with the possibility of competition. But I find it pitiful that grown adults of 40 still haven't developed their personality or the personal will to choose a sport that suits them. Ending up with a follower mentality to do like others at 40 — it's ridiculous.

You have to assume yourself, do the sport you want to do, the one that excites you. Be yourself — That's where you'll find your happiness!