7 Powerful Celebrities Playing Padel Who Are Fuelling the Sport’s Unstoppable Global Rise

7 Powerful Celebrities Playing Padel Who Are Fuelling the Sport’s Unstoppable Global Rise

By the Padel Gameplan Editorial Team | Published: 20 March 2026 | Updated: 20 March 2026

Celebrities playing padel are no longer a passing trend – they are actively shaping the sport’s unstoppable global trajectory in 2026. From football legends installing private courts at home to Formula 1 drivers picking up rackets between race weekends, famous people who play padel have become one of the most significant forces driving mainstream adoption of the sport worldwide. This article documents verified examples of celebrities playing padel, examines why padel is so popular with celebrities, and explores what this cultural shift means for players in the UAE and across the GCC.

Whether readers are new to padel or already familiar with courts in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or Ras Al Khaimah, the celebrity dimension of padel provides useful context for why this sport has grown so rapidly – and why the padel celebrity trend in 2026 shows no sign of slowing down.

Why Do Celebrities Play Padel? The 3 Key Reasons

Understanding why do celebrities play padel requires looking at what makes the sport structurally different from other recreational activities available to high-profile individuals.

The Social Format

Padel is played in doubles, meaning the format is inherently social and collaborative. Two players share a side of the court, requiring constant communication, positioning, and mutual support. For public figures accustomed to team environments – football stars, basketball players, and athletes from collaborative sports – this structure feels natural rather than unfamiliar. The doubles format also creates a setting where informal networking and relationship-building happen organically on court. This is widely cited as a key reason why padel is popular with celebrities who value both competition and social interaction in the same activity.

Physical Accessibility Across Levels

The enclosed court and wall-bounce mechanics mean rallies last longer even among players with varied skill levels. Many sport professionals who have transitioned away from their primary discipline – whether due to retirement or injury – report that padel provides a competitive physical outlet without the joint impact associated with other racket sports. Coaches commonly describe padel as one of the most effective cross-training activities for former athletes. This accessibility across fitness levels is another documented reason why famous people who play padel span such a wide range of disciplines – from retired footballers to active F1 drivers.

Visibility and Social Media Reach

The social media dimension is equally significant when examining why padel is so popular with celebrities. According to reporting from The Padel State and Padel Dynasty, videos and photographs of celebrities playing padel consistently generate millions of online interactions. This visibility creates a feedback loop – celebrity participation raises public awareness, awareness increases search interest, and search interest translates into court bookings and equipment purchases across markets including the UAE. The padel celebrity trend in 2026 has been amplified by this cycle more than any other factor.

Which Celebrities Play Padel in 2026? A Verified Profile Guide

The following profiles cover which celebrities play padel in 2026 based on publicly documented appearances, official statements, and verified reporting from established padel and sports media sources.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is among the most publicly documented football stars who play padel at both recreational and investment level. A widely circulated YouTube video showed Ronaldo competing in a friendly match against Arturo Coello, the world number 1 professional padel player. Beyond the Cristiano Ronaldo padel court appearances, CR7, S.A. – one of Ronaldo’s commercial entities – has been reported as a major investor in the “Cidade do Padel” project near Lisbon, a reported 17-court facility. For those asking does Ronaldo own a padel club, the documented answer is that his commercial vehicle is a major backer of one of the most ambitious padel facility projects in Portugal.

David Beckham

David Beckham is consistently cited across padel media as one of the sport’s most recognisable advocates globally. Beckham has been publicly documented playing padel on multiple occasions, including alongside tennis legend Andre Agassi in a pairing that received extensive social media coverage. David Beckham padel Dubai connections have also been reported through his involvement with the Qatari padel alliance, and his role as co-owner of Inter Miami CF places him in direct proximity to other celebrities playing padel including Lionel Messi. Beckham has publicly described the sport as one that combines training with social enjoyment – noting that many of his friends and former teammates are among the famous people who play padel regularly.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi’s interest in padel is well-documented and extends beyond casual participation. Reports have confirmed that Messi installed a padel court at his private residence – a direct reflection of how embedded padel has become in the lifestyle of top-level football stars who play padel. Messi has been seen playing padel on multiple occasions and has spoken about the sport in interviews. His presence in Miami through Inter Miami CF places him in a city with a growing padel infrastructure, reinforcing his profile as one of the most consistently documented celebrities playing padel.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic represents one of the most commercially committed celebrities who invested in padel clubs of anyone in the sport. Ibrahimovic founded and invested in Padel Zenter, a chain of padel facilities operating across Sweden and Italy – making him one of the clearest examples of a football star who play padel at investment level rather than purely as recreation. He has been documented playing padel with friends including Ronaldinho, and his former Manchester United teammate Paul Pogba was reported to have attended the first Padel Zenter venue opening. Ibrahimovic’s model – from recreational player to facility owner – is frequently cited in padel media as a template for celebrity-driven infrastructure growth.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is among the most well-known tennis players who play padel with documented genuine enthusiasm. As one of the most decorated players in tennis history, Nadal’s crossover to padel is particularly noted within the racket sport community. The Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca includes padel courts alongside its tennis facilities and organises regular padel camps. Nadal has participated in padel exhibition events over several years and is consistently described in padel media as a player with authentic personal interest in the sport – not simply a commercial endorser. His profile reinforces that tennis players who play padel represent a significant and growing crossover community.

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria is documented as a co-owner of a padel team that competed in the Hexagon Cup in Madrid, making her one of the clearest examples of a Hollywood figure who has moved from simply playing padel to formal team ownership. Her involvement as one of the celebrities who invested in padel clubs has been cited as a meaningful contribution to raising the sport’s profile among entertainment industry audiences globally.

Charles Leclerc

The community of F1 drivers who play padel has grown into one of the most visible celebrity padel clusters in the sport. Charles Leclerc padel appearances during race weekends have been documented across multiple locations, as have Lando Norris padel sessions alongside his McLaren teammates. Carlos Sainz Junior and Nico Hulkenberg are also among the F1 drivers regularly seen on court. The sport’s compact format and social structure make it practical at international race venues, and the F1 paddock environment – where athletes travel together across multiple continents – has made padel a natural communal activity within that community.

Antonio Banderas

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas is frequently cited as a vocal padel advocate. As a native of Spain – where padel has deep cultural roots – Banderas has promoted the sport internationally and is noted for elevating padel’s profile within entertainment and lifestyle media circles.

Andy Murray and Other Tennis Players Who Play Padel

Former world number 1 Andy Murray has been linked to padel promotion through his involvement with Edinburgh-based Game4Padel. Other tennis players who play padel and have been publicly documented include Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova, Martina Hingis, and Serena Williams – confirming that padel’s appeal to tennis professionals extends well beyond any single player or generation.

Celebrities Playing Padel: Full Comparison Table

Celebrities Who Invested in Padel Clubs vs Recreational Players

It is useful to separate celebrities who invested in padel clubs from those who participate purely as recreational players, as the two groups reflect different levels of commitment to the sport’s growth.

Recreational participants include Messi, Beckham in his playing capacity, Nadal, and the F1 drivers mentioned above. Their engagement is primarily on court – at club venues, private facilities, or organised exhibition events.

Celebrities who invested in padel clubs represent a deeper commercial commitment. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Padel Zenter chain is the most developed example, with multiple operational venues across two countries. Cristiano Ronaldo’s commercial vehicle CR7, S.A. backs the Cidade do Padel project near Lisbon. Eva Longoria’s Hexagon Cup team ownership places her firmly in the ownership and investment category.

This distinction is relevant for readers in the UAE because the investment behaviour of globally recognised celebrities directly reflects broader commercial confidence in padel’s long-term trajectory – confidence that mirrors the UAE’s own padel infrastructure expansion across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Al Ain.

What Celebrities Playing Padel Dubai and UAE Events Mean for Local Players

The relevance of celebrities playing padel extends directly to the UAE market in several practical ways.

Premier Padel Dubai celebrities and professional event content bring elite-level padel directly to the region annually. The Dubai P1 – part of the unified Premier Padel circuit backed by Qatar Sports Investments – is the most prominent example of how global investment in padel, partly driven by celebrity association and endorsement, translates into world-class events in the UAE.

Beyond events, global brand interest in padel driven by celebrity association has expanded the availability of high-quality equipment in UAE retail channels. Brands including Adidas, Bullpadel, NOX, and Babolat have all developed padel lines now stocked across UAE padel shops and online retailers.

The social doubles format that attracts famous people who play padel is precisely the same format that has made padel accessible to the UAE’s diverse expat and local community. Courts in Al Quoz, Business Bay, JVC, and across Abu Dhabi operate on the same social principles that make padel popular with celebrities and everyday players alike.

For readers in the UAE who are considering starting padel, the sport’s current cultural momentum – reinforced by celebrities playing padel Dubai events and internationally – provides a well-documented backdrop. Padel is not a niche activity. It is a mainstream sport with an established community, a growing professional circuit, and infrastructure that continues to expand across all seven emirates.

Guides on padel for beginners in the UAE, padel courts in Dubai, padel courts in Abu Dhabi, padel courts in Sharjah, kids padel classes UAE, padel coaching UAE, and padel lessons UAE are available on Padel Gameplan. Equipment sections covering padel rackets, padel shoes, and padel accessories are also available for readers researching current UAE market options.

10 Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do celebrities play padel rather than tennis? Padel’s doubles format, shorter learning curve, and social structure make it more accessible than tennis for recreational play. Many celebrities play padel because it delivers competition and physical activity without requiring years of technical development. Tennis players who play padel also find that the wall mechanics add tactical variety that appeals to experienced racket sport athletes.

2. Which celebrities play padel in 2026? Among the most documented celebrities playing padel in 2026 are Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rafael Nadal, Eva Longoria, and Antonio Banderas. F1 drivers who play padel including Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris are also regularly documented. Tennis players who play padel include Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Maria Sharapova.

3. Does Ronaldo own a padel club? CR7, S.A. – one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s commercial entities – is documented as a major investor in the “Cidade do Padel” project near Lisbon, a reported 17-court facility. The Cristiano Ronaldo padel court involvement therefore extends beyond recreational play into direct facility investment, making him one of the clearest examples of celebrities who invested in padel clubs.

4. Which football stars who play padel have also invested in the sport? Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the most commercially advanced example among football stars who play padel, having founded the Padel Zenter chain across Sweden and Italy. Cristiano Ronaldo’s commercial investment in the Cidade do Padel facility near Lisbon is also documented. David Beckham has been linked to the Qatari padel alliance alongside his recreational involvement.

5. Are there F1 drivers who play padel regularly? Yes. Charles Leclerc padel appearances during race weekends are among the most documented cases, alongside Lando Norris padel sessions with F1 colleagues. Carlos Sainz Junior and Nico Hulkenberg are also cited among F1 drivers who play padel. The sport’s practical format for international travel environments makes it well-suited to the F1 paddock lifestyle.

6. Why is padel popular with celebrities specifically? Three factors consistently emerge: the social doubles format suits team-oriented athletes; the accessible learning curve makes it practical for busy schedules; and the sport’s growing prestige makes it culturally appealing to public figures. Why padel is popular with celebrities also relates to its ability to generate strong social media content – matches between famous people who play padel consistently attract significant audience engagement.

7. What is the Hexagon Cup and which celebrities invested in padel teams there? The Hexagon Cup is a competition format linking amateur and professional padel players. Eva Longoria is documented as a co-owner of a participating team in Madrid, placing her among the most prominent celebrities who invested in padel clubs through formal team ownership. The event attracted 30,000 fans, reflecting the scale of celebrity-linked padel events in 2026.

8. How has the padel celebrity trend in 2026 affected the sport globally? According to the Playtomic Global Padel Report 2025, padel reached over 30.6 million players globally by 2024, with more than 7,000 new courts built in 2024 alone. The padel celebrity trend in 2026 has reinforced mainstream visibility and is cited alongside institutional investment as a key driver of recreational uptake across markets including the UAE.

9. Are celebrities playing padel Dubai and UAE events significant for local players? Yes. Premier Padel Dubai – the annual P1 event on the unified Premier Padel circuit – brings world-class professional play directly to the UAE. Celebrities playing padel Dubai events and the broader visibility of Premier Padel Dubai celebrities reinforces the sport’s mainstream status regionally and has contributed to the UAE’s own padel infrastructure expansion.

10. Where can beginners in the UAE start playing padel? The UAE has over 300 courts across more than 225 venues nationwide, spanning Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Al Ain. Many clubs offer beginner sessions and structured coaching programmes. Full details are available in Padel Gameplan’s UAE court guides and academy directory.

This article was prepared by the Padel Gameplan Editorial Team using publicly available reporting and documented sources.

Key references include Padel Magazine for verified celebrity playing profiles, The Padel State for investment documentation including the Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic entries, Padel Dynasty for sourced celebrity profiles with citations from The Athletic, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail, The Padel Paper for football community padel engagement reporting covering Murray, Messi, and Beckham, Padel Athletes for Ibrahimovic, Nadal, Zidane, and F1 driver profiles, and Padel Pickle Club for global growth statistics sourced from the Playtomic Global Padel Report 2025.

All claims in this article are drawn from these documented external sources and readers are encouraged to verify current information directly with venues and brands as circumstances may change.