What is Padel?

Padel means fun. Combining the best of several worlds, padel has become a booming sport for thousands of athletes worldwide. The beauty and aesthetics of tennis come together with the fun and camaraderie of team sports to create an attractive meeting point for beginners and professionals alike.

Most players will agree on one thing: padel is both fun and competitive. Playing as a couple provides a boost that makes it a social and accessible activity for almost everyone. These common elements have made people of all ages and levels join the rise of padel, maintaining the spirit from which it emerged: a fun game for everyone.

How To Play Padel?

The principle is simple: get the ball over the net once more than the opposing team. On a 20 × 10 m court (66 x 33 ft) surrounded by four glass walls, two couples face off on a surface reminiscent of Wimbledon grass, but in smaller dimensions. The walls, which are part of the game, provide versatility, dynamism, and accessibility.

Things You Probably Don’t Know About Padel

Today, padel is played by millions of people around the world. Spain is by far the country with the most amateur and professional padel players in the world, with reports suggesting this number is around 4 million. With 20,000 padel courts, it also consists of the most courts globally. The second country in this ranking is Argentina. These numbers range from 500,000 to two million, and the rapidly growing number of courts in Argentina and its surrounding Latin American countries means the game is only starting to boom.

It is taking Europe and Latin America by storm and penetrating sports markets in places such as North America, and the Middle East, with the likes of the UAE and Egypt now hosting several padel courts and facilities.

Despite being accessible and seemingly easier than other racket sports, competitiveness and technicality are also important parts of padel. Like tennis, the scoring system works with points, games, and sets, preserving the excitement of matches with heart-stopping finals.