Why aren’t more women competing in padel tournaments?

Why aren’t more women competing in padel tournaments?

Recently I entered an LTA Grade 3 tournament in Exeter. The men’s draw was full, but for the women there were only three entries.

Yet the same club had recently run a fun Americano event with over 40 women signing up. Clearly, there are women keen to play — so why aren’t we seeing that reflected in tournament entries?

From my own experience, one of the biggest barriers was simply finding a partner. I even put an advert on a women’s padel Facebook page asking if anyone wanted to compete at a higher level, but had very little luck. Without a partner, you can’t even step on court.

So what’s stopping more women from competing?

• ⏰ Time?
• 💷 Cost?
• 👶 Childcare?
• ❓ Or maybe it’s not about barriers at all — maybe lots of women just prefer playing socially, and aren’t interested in competition?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you play tournaments, or would you like to but something is holding you back?

The more we understand these barriers (if they exist), the more we can work together — as a community and through organisations like The Padel Directory — to break them down and encourage more women into the competitive side of the game.

💬 Comment below — your feedback could make a real difference.