Padel in Italy — the country guide.

Country guide · Italy

Italy sits between Spain and Sweden — geographically and stylistically. A serious outdoor scene in the south, a serious indoor scene in the north, and a national federation pushing hard since 2018. Italy is now the third-largest padel market in Europe and growing fastest in the under-30 demographic.

By the numbers

• ~7,500 courts across 2,300+ clubs.
• ~1 million regular players.
• Pro tour stops: Premier Padel Italy Major (Rome) annually since 2022.
• Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel (FITP) governs both sports under one body.

Where to play

Milan & the north

The strongest club-league scene in Italy. Milan and the surrounding Lombardia province have ~400 clubs, mostly indoor (or covered outdoor), running organised leagues at all levels. Sundays are filled with FITP-sanctioned amateur tournaments.

Notable: Aspria Harbour Club (premium), Padel Trend (chain with several Milan locations), Forum Sport Center in Assago for the player-pro mix.

Rome & central Italy

Rome is where the Premier Padel Major lives every year, so the capital has the highest pro-presence in Italy outside Rome itself. ~200 clubs in the metro area, split between indoor multi-court venues and traditional tennis clubs that converted some courts to padel.

Notable: Cosmopolitan Padel, Roma Padel EUR, Foro Italico Padel.

Bologna, Turin, Florence

Each ~80–120 clubs, strong league play, accessible English at the larger venues. Bologna in particular has a thriving university padel circuit.

The south (Naples, Bari, Palermo)

Outdoor heavy and cheaper. Some excellent Spanish-style clubs in Sicily and Apulia built in the last 3–5 years. Less developed booking infrastructure — expect to phone the club directly more often than in the north.

What it costs

• Court hire (north, indoor): €24–€36 per hour.
• Court hire (south, outdoor): €18–€28 per hour.
• Racket rental: €3–€6 per session.
• Coaching: €30–€50 per hour individually, shared courts work out cheaper.

The Italian quirks

FITP affiliation

To enter sanctioned tournaments you need a FITP card (Tessera Atleta). It costs ~€25 per year and includes basic insurance. Casual rec players don't need it, but it's worth knowing about if you're staying long enough to enter a club league.

Playtomic + local apps

Playtomic dominates the larger clubs and chain venues. Smaller independent clubs run on their own apps or just on WhatsApp + phone bookings. The booking landscape is more fragmented than Spain's.

The lunch break

Many clubs (south more than north) close 13:00–16:00. Bookings between those hours might require explicit reception confirmation. Plan around it.

Quality of construction

The newer Italian clubs (post-2020) are excellent — top-spec ParadeWalls glass, proper LED lighting, full-court mesh. Older "converted" clubs (tennis halls with padel added) vary wildly. Check photos before booking if possible.

The Italian league system

FITP runs a serious amateur league pyramid — Serie A1 down through Serie D — for both team play (clubs vs clubs) and individual ranking. If you're an intermediate player living in Italy, signing up for a club's league team gives you a regular match every other weekend at calibrated levels. Worth doing once you're settled.

If you have 72 hours in Italy

1. Pick north (Milan/Bologna) or south (Rome/Naples) depending on weather and what you want from the trip.
2. Install Playtomic, set your level honestly, look at open matches.
3. Friday/Saturday: book a lesson. Italian coaches lean toward Spanish-style technique — very useful if you've only learned padel from English-language YouTube.
4. Saturday evening: americano if the club runs one. Bologna and Milan have great mid-level evenings.
5. Sunday morning: pick a club outside the city centre for a quieter, cheaper, often outdoor session.

Browse Italian clubs on padel·hubs: All clubs in Italy →