Game Changer

Padel is the newest racket sport taking the world by storm

With its Grand Slam heroes and country club cachet, for decades it seemed that tennis sat in the glamorous center court of the world of racket sports. Squash attracted devotees for the game’s intensity and speed, and paddle tennis boomed in the United States with its smaller courts. Then came pickleball, the phenomenon that swept across America, transforming empty tennis courts into bustling social hubs and introducing millions to a more accessible way to compete.

Now, another game is serving a winning shot. From the beach clubs of Spain to luxury resorts in Florida, from private members’ clubs in London to sleek new facilities in California, padel is emerging as the most exciting new force in racket sports. America’s fastest-growing luxury sport, padel is less intimidating than tennis and easier to learn and play. Played in doubles on a small court, it’s no surprise that padel is popular, from its wellness and lifestyle benefits to the chance to socialize with friends on and off the court. 

Padel (pronounced “pad-elle”) has been popular for years in Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Scandinavia. The game is now played in at least 150 countries with 100 national padel federations, but the place where it has really taken flight over recent years is the United States. 

The appeal is obvious within minutes of stepping onto a court. Padel blends elements of tennis and squash in a fun, sociable, and highly enjoyable set-up. Played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by glass walls, padel is dynamic, strategic, and very easygoing. Long rallies develop quickly, which makes padel instantly enjoyable for beginners, while it’s competitive, lively, and hugely entertaining at the same time. 

One of the biggest attractions is that beginners can play padel almost immediately. Unlike tennis, where developing a serve can take weeks or even months, padel offers instant gratification. “It’s so easy to get started,” says Frederik Andersen, who is on the board of directors of the United States Padel Association and is operations manager of Padel N9NE in San Diego, California, the largest padel club in the western U.S. “It’s fun for a lot of people that maybe have never played competitive sports before. You can practice for two, three hours and suddenly you can play a match, and you can start being a little competitive and not feel like, ‘Oh, I need to do this for a thousand hours until I can actually start keeping score.’”  

Enjoyed by all ages, at padel courts you’ll see teenagers play alongside grandparents, and pro athletes next to complete beginners. Mixed doubles are the norm, with skill, positioning, and touch often more important than physical power.  

It’s the social element that is the real highlight of padel. If tennis has traditionally been associated with competition and pickleball with community, padel takes the middle ground and matches are energetic and engaging, but far from intimidating. Players linger after games for coffee, drinks, or dinner. Many padel clubs are less like athletic facilities and more like lifestyle destinations, with wellness centers, restaurants, and lounges. And visitors to destinations around the world can now book private coaching sessions, join social tournaments, or reserve a court for an afternoon match before heading to the spa or beach club. 

So, how is padel played? The yellow, felt-covered ball resembles a tennis ball, but there’s quite a difference. Padel balls are smaller and lighter, they aren’t as bouncy, and are more durable than their tennis cousins.

The paddle is smaller than a tennis racket, larger than a pickleball paddle, and perforated with 50 to 80 small holes. This reduces the weight of the paddle while increasing its aerodynamic efficiency, allowing the player to swing with more speed and power, and crucially put more spin on the ball. 

Scoring is similar to tennis, as is the terminology to determine scoring (love, deuce, etc.). The first player or duo to win six games takes the set; the overall winner is whoever takes two out of three sets. 

Padel was invented in Mexico in the late 1960s almost by accident, when businessman Enrique Corcuera, a keen tennis player, tried to build a tennis court at his Acapulco home but didn’t have enough space. Not put off, he improvised – with walls enclosing the court, he saw how the balls rebounded and a whole new game was born. Some of the padel terminology reflects the game’s Latin American roots: a bandeja is an overhead return with a wicked spin; a bajada is a shot off the back glass; and a chiquita is a soft shot over the net similar to a dink. 

Enrique’s wife, Viviana, devised the game’s first rules, and one of their regular summer guests, Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, liked playing the game so much during his visits to Acapulco that he decided to introduce padel to Southern Spain. The sport soon gained more followers and quickly spread around the world. Today, padel courts appear alongside tennis and pickleball courts, and celebrities and professional athletes are embracing the game. 

“It’s a very dynamic sport,” says Frederik, who started playing padel during winters in his native Denmark before relocating to California. “You play ground shots, you play overheads, you play volleys, you play off the glass. It’s a lot about patience, playing smart more than playing fast and physical. It’s a game about placement and a game about touch. And it’s a sport where a lot of different people can be good at it.”

The racket sport landscape is continually evolving, and right now, padel is at the very heart of that transformation. Pickleball continues to attract a dedicated following, and this year has been an exciting one for tennis fans with Serena Williams’ return to Wimbledon. But there’s something very accessible, fun, and sociable about padel. Once you experience the pace, strategy, and joy of a long rally, it’s easy to understand why so many players become hooked. Anyone for a match?