What is padel?

What is Padel? The Fast-Growing Racket Sport Everyone’s Talking About

If you’ve been anywhere near a sports club in Europe or Latin America recently, chances are you’ve heard someone talking about padel. It’s the sport that seems to have come out of nowhere — filling courts, inspiring celebrity investors, and giving tennis and squash players a brand-new obsession. But what actually is padel, and why is it suddenly on everyone’s radar?

Padel is often described as a mix between tennis and squash, but that only tells part of the story. Played on a smaller court surrounded by glass and mesh walls, padel is doubles by design — it’s fast, tactical, and full of energy. Unlike tennis, you can use the walls to keep the rally alive, which makes points longer, more spectacular, and sometimes a little chaotic. Imagine the precision of tennis meets the intensity of squash, with a dash of fun that makes it accessible to almost anyone.

The sport was invented in Mexico in 1969, when Enrique Corcuera built the first enclosed court at his home. It caught on quickly in Spain and Argentina, and from there spread into Europe. In Spain today, padel is second only to football in popularity. Over the last decade, it’s exploded across Italy, Sweden, the Middle East, and is now growing fast in the UK and US. Some call it the fastest-growing sport in the world — and when you step on court, it’s easy to see why.

Part of padel’s magic is how inclusive it feels. Tennis can sometimes be intimidating for newcomers — the scoring is strange, the serve is tricky, and beginners often spend more time chasing balls than hitting them. Padel is different. The underarm serve gets the rally started, the smaller court keeps everyone involved, and the walls mean rallies don’t end so quickly. Players of different ages and levels can jump on court together and still have a competitive, fun match.

But don’t be fooled — while padel is beginner-friendly, at higher levels it’s just as demanding and tactical as any other sport. Professional padel, governed by tours like the Premier Padel Tour and World Padel Tour, features lightning-fast reflexes, incredible teamwork, and jaw-dropping trick shots that are already making the rounds on YouTube and TikTok. The pros combine touch, power, and creativity in ways that keep fans hooked.

Padel is also a deeply social sport. Because it’s always doubles, you’re never alone on court. You celebrate points, laugh at mistakes, and strategise with your partner. That social element has made padel clubs vibrant communities where people come to play, but also to hang out, network, and be part of something. For many, it’s less about competition and more about connection.

Another reason padel is growing so quickly is the celebrity factor. From footballers like Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimović to tennis legends like Novak Djokovic, high-profile names are investing in padel clubs or talking openly about their love for the sport. That kind of visibility has poured fuel on the fire, especially in markets like the UK and US where padel is still new.

So, why should you care about padel? Because it’s not a fad — it’s a genuine movement. It blends the best of racket sports into something fresh, exciting, and inclusive. It’s competitive but playful, easy to learn but hard to master, and it brings people together in a way that feels different to most other sports.

Padel might not replace tennis, but it’s not trying to. It’s carving out its own space in the racket-sports world — one that’s vibrant, growing, and full of opportunity. Whether you’re a tennis player curious to try something new, a beginner looking for an accessible sport, or someone just keen to meet new people in a fun environment, padel could be your next obsession.

So next time you hear someone say “fancy a game of padel?” — take them up on it. You might just discover the future of racket sports.