Tennis legend Andre Agassi made his professional pickleball debut at the US Open Pickleball Championships in Florida this year, elevating the new-age sport that is having its moment globally. Other new sports rising the popularity charts include padel and Ironman triathlon, which are attracting people of all ages, especially those looking for sports that combine activity and socialising. Not just humans, robots are also taking to the arena, with 21 humanoids competing in a half-marathon in Beijing in April this year. In August, China even hosted an all-robots games with various sports being played.
Data from the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) suggest that the US alone is estimated to have nearly 50 million adults volleying a ball over a 34-inch net between 2022 and 2023. Estimates also suggest that 4,000 new locations were added in the US in 2024, bringing the total to 15,910 courts nationwide.
Pickleball’s meteoric rise
India, too, has over 70,000 active players in pickleball with 10,000 playing professionally. The game is rapidly moving from a niche, leisure activity to a mainstream sport, said Aditya Khanna, director, Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), a unified global ranking system for pickleball players.
“India has over 1,000 dedicated pickleball courts, and the number is growing, especially in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi-NCR and Chennai. The ease, accessibility, and social appeal has contributed to creating a dedicated player base cutting across age groups,” said Khanna.
“The increasing popularity is evident in the surge of clubs, courts, and local tournaments,” added Khanna, who plans to expand the game to tier 2 & tier 3 cities.
Professionals like Global Sports are organising tournaments like Indian Open League 2025 (happened in February this year), and the Global Sports Pro and Challenger League in Mumbai, to happen in December this year. There is significant prize money also at stake. Global Sports Pickleball (GSP) recently concluded the Season 2 Pro & Challenger League auction in Mumbai, with each of the ten franchises allocated a player budget of Rs 66 lakh.
“There is a boom in participation and demand. We are creating specialised training facilities, installing coaching models and collaborating with platforms like Hudle and Khelo More, and working towards establishing multiple levels of pickleball leagues within the next 12 months. Our flagship tournament, the Global Sports Pro and Challenger League, is making a comeback for its second season this December,” said Hemal Jain, founder, Global Sports Pickleball.
The Monsoon Pickleball Championship 2.0 organised by Global Sports in August last year in Mumbai offered a prize pool of $100,000 with over 800 participants. The event featured international players like Jocelyn Devilliers, Megan Fudge, and Ryler DeHeart.
This year, the Delhi Open in August organised a tournament in association with the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) with teenage talents—U-14, U-18, and over 50 competitions. “The Delhi Open has exceeded all expectations. The sheer enthusiasm from players and fans prove the incredible demand for the sport today. With sponsors like Brandpay, Kairoswealth, Franklin, MNB Builders, Shookra Aesthetics, and ABI Health, we’ve been able to raise the tournament to world class level,” says Ankiti Bose, partner at investment firm, Terra-Invest, and co-owner of Dilli Dillwale, the host of the Delhi Open.
Beyond Rackets
Similarly, padel, which is a full-body workout, is gaining popularity as a sport. “Padel is social, fast-paced, and easy to pick up even if you’ve never played a racket sport before,” said Nikhil Sachdev, co-founder & head of marketing, brand development, and strategy at PadelPark India, a padel sport ecosystem in India launched in 2023 that has over 100 padel courts.
“A steady rise in the number of players coming back to the sport regularly speaks volumes. The participation in the first tournament has gone up, from 24 teams last year to over 120 teams this year. The demand isn’t just limited to trying the sport, it’s about building a community,” said Sachdev. PadelPark India’s in-house ‘Indian Padel Tour’ series was held in March this year and another one in partnership with the Asia Pacific Padel Tour (APPT) in April in Mumbai to encourage homegrown talent.
The global padel market is expected to reach $458.97 million by 2030. Dubai has over 250 padel courts and it is already one of the most played sports in the UAE. As per Sachdev, “Indonesia is another such market. In Spain, there are already more padel players than for tennis. We are seeing families use it as a way to bond, replacing screen time with court time. To scale this, we are working on school programmes, corporate leagues, and open community days where anyone can walk in and play. It’s all about lowering the barrier and getting more Indians to just try it once, and it turns into a part of their daily routine in no time.”
Urban hubs like Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai have caught on to the padel ecosystem fairly well and are rapidly growing. “These cities have a great mix of youth, sports infrastructure, and an openness to new experiences. We get a lot of franchise and other enquiries from smaller cities like Chandigarh, Surat and Jaipur as well. We’re making padel accessible across age groups, especially from people between 20 and 45 years. We have so far coached over 500 players,” said Sachdev.
HYROX, the global fitness race that stands for ‘hybrid’ and ‘rockstar’, entered India this year. It’s a 1-km run followed by one strength workout station, repeated eight times. The HYROX Delhi event in July saw 2,500 participants, while the Mumbai event in September saw 3,200 participants, with Bengaluru (April 11, 2026) expecting even higher engagement.
“We are seeing pan-India representation and global appeal, with attendees from over 250 cities and 50+ countries. Our partnership network includes global giants like Puma and Redbull. With major races soon, I see HYROX becoming a sought after event for mass participation and wellness. The thriving health market and fast-growing digital and gym affiliations signal even bigger things ahead for HYROX India, both as a sporting event and a vehicle for community transformation,” said Deepak Raj, country head, HYROX India.
Ironman Triathlon Series, on the other hand, is an endurance event — a 3.8-km swim, followed by a 180-km bike ride, capped off with a full marathon of 42.2 km — having some notable names like BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and joint MD of Brigade Group Nirupa Shankar having completed the races. “At first, it seemed an insurmountable task. But if you break it into smaller, bite-sized training blocks over six months, you find a way to reach the goal. It taught me how to take larger problems and solve them step by step—something that’s just as relevant in the office,” said Shankar.