Wondering which celebrities are hooked on padel?
Celebrity padel players have become one of the sport's biggest publicity engines, with footballers, tennis champions, actors, and even heads of state regularly turning up on court. Their visibility has helped push padel from a mostly Spanish pastime into a genuinely global phenomenon, and the list of famous names picking up a racket keeps growing every year.
This guide rounds up the celebrities most associated with padel, from football and tennis stars to actors, musicians, and even a few unexpected names from Formula 1 and politics.
Footballers Who've Taken Up Padel
Football and padel have an especially close relationship, largely because so many top footballers already live in Spain or grew up around the sport. Lionel Messi is one of the most frequently mentioned names, having built a padel court at his home in Barcelona and spoken publicly about enjoying the sport in his downtime. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and David Beckham have all been photographed playing padel as well, often during offseason travel or casual outings with friends.
Former Real Madrid great Zinedine Zidane is also known to play padel regularly, and Beckham in particular has drawn attention as a potential ambassador for the sport given his ownership stake in Inter Miami and long-standing global profile.
Tennis Stars Crossing Over to Padel
Given how closely padel and tennis are related, it's no surprise that plenty of tennis professionals have picked up a padel racket too. Rafael Nadal is one of the sport's most prominent tennis-world advocates, having built padel courts at his academy in Manacor. Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova, Martina Hingis, and Serena Williams have all been publicly linked to the sport as well, reflecting how naturally padel appeals to players with an existing racket sports background.
Former British number one Andy Murray has gone a step further, becoming involved in promoting padel through his connection to Game4Padel, a major UK operator of padel venues.
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| Category | Notable Names |
|---|---|
| Football | Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Ibrahimovic, Beckham, Zidane |
| Tennis | Nadal, Djokovic, Sharapova, Hingis, Serena Williams, Andy Murray |
| Acting and Music | Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias |
| Formula 1 | Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg |
| Politics | Emmanuel Macron, Jose Maria Aznar |
Note
New celebrities take up padel constantly as the sport keeps growing, so treat this as a snapshot of well-known names rather than an exhaustive or permanently current list.
Actors and Musicians on the Padel Court
Spanish actor Antonio Banderas is frequently cited as one of padel's most vocal celebrity advocates, using his profile to help raise the sport's visibility internationally, particularly outside its traditional Spanish and Latin American strongholds. British actor Hugh Grant has also been spotted playing padel, adding to the sport's growing presence among entertainment figures.
In music, Colombian singer Shakira has been seen playing padel regularly, often alongside former partner and footballer Gerard Pique, while Spanish singer and actor Enrique Iglesias has also expressed enthusiasm for the sport.
Formula 1 Drivers Playing Padel Between Races
Padel's format fits neatly into the traveling lifestyle of Formula 1 drivers, and several have embraced it as a way to stay active and social during race weekends. Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, and Nico Hulkenberg have all been documented playing padel, often together, reflecting how the sport has become something of a shared pastime within the paddock community.
Politicians Who Play Padel
Padel's reach even extends into politics. French President Emmanuel Macron has attended padel events and been photographed playing the sport alongside figures like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, while former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has also been named among the sport's well-known supporters.
Celebrities Investing in Padel, Not Just Playing It
Beyond playing casually, a number of celebrities have moved into the business side of padel. Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped launch Padel Zenter, a chain of padel clubs with locations across Sweden and Italy, while former tennis player Tommy Haas joined the ownership group of a franchise in the Pro Padel League, one of the first professional padel leagues in North America. In the UK, footballers Jamie Vardy and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have joined former British tennis players Annabel Croft and Andy Murray in investing in Game4Padel, one of the country's largest padel venue operators.
Why So Many Celebrities Are Drawn to Padel
Padel's doubles format and shorter learning curve make it far more accessible for recreational play than tennis, letting even non-professional athletes enjoy a competitive, social game without years of technical development. For athletes specifically, the sport's wall mechanics add tactical variety that appeals to anyone with an existing racket sports background, while its social, doubles-based structure fits naturally into group travel and friend circles — both common features of celebrity life.
What Celebrity Involvement Means for Padel's Growth
High-profile players don't just add glamour to the sport — their visibility genuinely accelerates padel's growth in new markets, particularly regions where the sport wasn't previously well known. Celebrity investment in clubs and leagues, rather than just casual play, has also helped fund the infrastructure needed to expand access beyond padel's traditional strongholds in Spain and Latin America.
Separating Casual Players From Serious Investors
It's worth distinguishing between celebrities who play padel purely for fun and those who've put real money behind the sport's growth. Casual players like Messi or Shakira raise the sport's visibility just by being seen enjoying it, while figures like Ibrahimovic, Murray, and Nadal have gone further, building clubs and academies, while others have backed entire professional leagues. Both forms of involvement matter, but the financial backing from this group has had a much more direct, lasting impact on padel's infrastructure and accessibility.
Quick Facts About Celebrity Padel Players
- Lionel Messi built a private padel court at his home in Barcelona.
- Rafael Nadal built padel courts at his own academy in Manacor.
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped launch the padel club chain Padel Zenter.
- Formula 1 drivers Leclerc, Sainz, Norris, and Hulkenberg have all been seen playing padel.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has played padel alongside Beckham and Ronaldo.
- Andy Murray, Jamie Vardy, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have all invested in UK padel venues.
From football pitches to Formula 1 paddocks to the world of film and music, padel's celebrity following keeps expanding across nearly every corner of public life. That growing visibility is one of the clearest signs of just how far the sport has traveled beyond its original roots.
