How Tennis Became One of India's Fastest-Growing Racket Sports

Tennis courts across Indian cities have been getting harder to book, weekend academies are filling up, and racket sports in general are having a moment. The clearest hard data on just how fast comes from tennis's closest cousin — padel — but the boom it reveals is reshaping the entire racket-sport space tennis sits within.

The Numbers Behind the Racket-Sport Boom

Padel is the sport with the clearest numbers, and they're striking: India went from roughly 1,000-2,000 padel players in 2022 to nearly 100,000 players by 2025 — close to a 100x increase in three years. Court supply grew just as fast, from 80-100 courts in 2023 to around 500 courts by 2026, with 48 new venues opening in the first four months of 2026 alone. Industry projections put the market at 1 million players and 4,000+ courts by 2036, a roughly 10x expansion over the decade. Engagement is climbing too — games played per player rose 73% year over year, with 55% of players still active a year after starting.

Why Tennis Specifically Is Riding This Wave

Padel's explosion didn't happen in isolation — it's part of a broader shift where more Indians are actively looking for social, skill-based sports to play on weekends, and tennis is benefiting directly. Tennis academies in major cities report growing waitlists, weekend social leagues have become genuinely competitive to join, and platforms that let people book courts and find playing partners have made picking up a racket far more accessible than it was even five years ago. Grand Slam viewership and a new generation of fitness-focused, socially active young professionals are adding fuel to the same fire.

What This Means If You're Just Getting Into Tennis

The upside of a growing sport is more infrastructure — more courts, more coaches, more beginner-friendly programs — but it also means booking a court or a coaching slot last-minute is getting harder in popular areas. If you're picking up a racket for the first time, joining a beginner group session rather than going solo tends to be the easiest way in right now, since so many new players are doing the same thing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is tennis becoming more popular in India?
Yes — while precise national tennis-participation numbers are harder to track, the explosive growth of padel (tennis's closest cousin, up roughly 100x in three years) is clear evidence of a much broader racket-sport boom that tennis is benefiting from directly.

Is padel replacing tennis in India?
No, the two are growing alongside each other — padel's lower learning curve is bringing new people into racket sports generally, many of whom go on to try tennis as well.

What's the easiest way to start playing tennis as a beginner in India?
Joining a beginner group class at a local academy or club is usually easier than trying to book courts and find partners solo, especially as demand for both keeps climbing.