Padel Sport

Padel is a racket sport played on an enclosed court (10m × 20m) with glass or mesh walls, combining elements of tennis and squash. It is almost always played in doubles, using a solid, perforated racket (no strings) and a depressurised tennis ball. The walls are live: the ball can be played off them after the first bounce, which opens up angles impossible in regular tennis. It is currently the fastest-growing sport in the world by participation, with an estimated 25 million players globally in 2026.

No, though the two share the same scoring system (15-30-40, games, sets, match). Key differences: padel is always played in doubles on a smaller, fully enclosed court with glass walls; players use a short, solid, perforated racket instead of a strung racket; the walls are playable surfaces (the ball can be hit off the glass after bouncing, like squash); and serves must be delivered underarm below hip height. Many describe padel as easier to start than tennis but equally deep for advanced players.

Padel was invented in Mexico in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, who built the first court at his home in Acapulco, adapting a walled garden into a tennis-like enclosed space. The sport spread quickly to Spain, the first Spanish club opened in Marbella (Sotogrande) in 1974, and Spain became the sport's heartland. Today, Spain has over 4 million players, more than any other country, and the World Padel Tour and Premier Padel circuits are both based there.

Several factors have converged: padel is significantly more accessible for beginners than tennis (the walls forgive mishits; you almost never go 'out'); it is inherently social (always played in doubles, which drives group bookings and club culture); courts are compact and can be built indoors, reducing weather dependency; and it delivers a genuine workout with real tactical depth. The global padel market reached €6 billion in 2026, with France growing at +30% per year and crossing 1 million practitioners, and the US now seeing its first wave of major investment in padel infrastructure.

Both are accessible doubles racket sports that have boomed recently, but they differ significantly. Padel uses glass/mesh walls that are integral to play, you can and must play off them, like squash; pickleball does not use walls at all. Padel courts are larger (10×20m vs 6.1×13.4m) and are typically enclosed in glass; pickleball is played on an open court similar to a badminton court. Padel uses a solid, stringless perforated racket; pickleball a smaller solid paddle. Both use tennis-like scoring in most competitive formats. In the US, pickleball has a head start in participation, but padel is growing faster in Europe and is often positioned as the sport's more athletic, international sibling.

Padel uses the same scoring as tennis: points go 15, 30, 40, game (with a deuce rule if tied at 40-40); six games win a set (with a tiebreak at 6-6); matches are typically best of three sets. There is no 'shot clock.' One important difference from tennis: serves in padel must be played underarm, below hip height, bounced on your side of the court and then struck diagonally into the opponent's service box, no overhead serves. This makes the serve far more consistent and less dominant than in tennis.

Yes, padel is widely considered more beginner-friendly than tennis. The glass walls stop the ball going out of reach after the bounce, the court is smaller (less ground to cover), and the underarm serve is far easier to master. Most beginners are sustaining rallies within minutes of their first session. Clubs typically offer introductory group sessions and casual 'open court' booking where you can play with others at a similar level. The game still has a long learning curve, advanced padel is highly tactical and physically demanding, but the entry barrier is unusually low for a racket sport.

Estimates put the global padel community at approximately 25 million players in 2026, up from under 500,000 in the early 2000s. Spain leads with more than 4 million players, followed by Argentina and Mexico (where the sport originated). Europe is the fastest-growing region: France reached 1,050,000 practitioners and 3,800 courts in 2026, growing at +30% per year. The USA crossed a significant threshold in 2025-26 with major padel infrastructure investment and its first professional-level clubs in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. The global padel market was valued at €6 billion in 2026 (up from €2 billion in 2022).

You need a padel racket (a solid, perforated frame with no strings, roughly 45cm long, available in different shapes for different play styles), padel balls (similar to tennis balls but slightly less pressurised), and padel-specific court shoes with a herringbone outsole designed for grip on the artificial turf or sand surface. Most clubs rent rackets for beginners. Proper padel shoes matter: running shoes are both ineffective and can damage the artificial turf surface. Dress code is casual sports clothing, the same as for tennis.