England losing tennis courts as number of padel facilities rises exponentially

Commuters walk past padel courts in Canary Wharf, London. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

England has lost almost 200 tennis courts in three years as padel facilities have grown nearly sixfold.

Guardian analysis of Sport England data found that the country has lost 183 tennis courts since 2023 – the first such decline since at least 2000. The data includes local authority and community-owned courts, privately run health facilities, schools and sports clubs.