When Arjen Robben was dancing on the flank during his playing days, defenders were often left bamboozled. Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are just three of the clubs who were lucky enough to have the Dutchman at their disposal before he called it a day and hung up his boots in the summer of 2021 – and he has now turned his hand at a different sport.
Born and raised in Bedum, a town in the northeastern Netherlands, Robben picked up 12 league titles across four different top European leagues. That includes two Premier League titles during his spell at Stamford Bridge and an eye-catching tally of eight Bundesligas between 2009 and 2019 for Bayern Munich.
Typically, ex-professional footballers head down one of either two routes: some try their hand at some punditry – think Jamie Carragher – while others head into the capacity of manager. But that isn't the case for Robben, who is now playing a different sport in a professional setting. Whether he can reach a similar level to his football career remains to be seen.
Arjen Robben – Career Statistics
Club/Country
Bayern Munich
Chelsea
Netherlands
PSV Eindhoven
Real Madrid
Groningen
arjen robben
As a footballer, Robben – widely regarded as one of the greatest right-wingers in football history – was used to controlling the ball with his feet. The Dutchman's attention has now turned to his hand-eye coordination as padel, an ever-growing sport, is what he spends most of his free-time playing and, in a way, trying to master.
Back in August, Robben won his first ranking points in the International Padel Federation after entering the FIP Bronze Westerbork tournament – which is part of the CUPRA FIP Tour, based in his homeland. Werner Lootsma, his partner, and the ex-winger defeated Ralph Boekema and Mark Weldmate to reach the main draw.
According to the Daily Mail, they overcame a total of six match points to win 4-3, 6-3, 7-6 in that match – but that is where the winning stopped for the fit-as-a-fiddle 41-year-old, who once completed the Rotterdam marathon with a seriously impressive time of 2:58:33.
arjen robben padel
It was Sten Richters and Thijs Roper, ranked 155th and 144th in the world respectively, who outclassed Robben and his partner in the last-32 clash – but the victors had nothing but kind words to say about the Groningen academy graduate. "He's the best former professional footballer we know who plays padel," they both commented.
Robben, too, has spoken out about his new sporting venture and said that he is not expecting too much of himself against much tougher opponents. Footballing wise, there were very few players on the planet more menacing than the fleet-footed attacker but, in padel, he is still working his way up from the bottom. The 96-cap Netherlands international said:
"I don't think I can take myself too seriously. I started with low expectations. But I tried to fight on the court, and score as many points as possible."
As things stand, in mid-November 2025, Robben is currently ranked 1,980 in the world with three ranking points to boot. To put his exploits into perspective: Argentine Agustine Tapia and Arturo Coello of Spain have collected 20,200 apiece to be crowned the two joint-greatest padel players in the world.
Robben's love for playing the sport is not new. The speedster first picked up a racket during his ten-year, trophy-laden stint for Bayern Munich, where he said: "I used to play three times a week when I was in Germany," before claiming that Zlatan Ibrahimovic's influence in Sweden is serving as an inspiration. "Zlatan Ibrahimovic made padel an important sport in Sweden, and I think I can do the same in the Netherlands."
arjen robben playing padel
Two years ago, in 2023, Robben and compatriot Robin Van Persie paired up to test their padel skills in the Pro-Am of the World Padel Tour Amsterdam Open. After the duo won the 'Legends Game', Van Persie said: "What an incredible experience at the Amsterdam Open once again! An intense match in excellent company."
All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 17/11/2025