Is Padel the New Pickleball?

What is padel?

“Padel is a fantastic and exciting racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash,” says David Maxwell, the director of the Asian Pacific Padel Tour (APPT), a PadelMBA certified Padel Coach, and former Club Manager at VietPadel club in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This sport is always played in doubles and is accessible to all ages and abilities, much more so than tennis due to lower physical demands, says Maxwell. “As it is doubles, it's also an extremely social sport, with each club being more successful thanks to a thriving, tight-knit community of players,” he adds. Padel has been extremely popular in Spain and Latin America for decades, beginning in Mexico in the late 1960s, but has seen an incredible explosion of growth worldwide in the past few years. Some say that it was invented in 1969 by a husband and wife who were bored on vacation and looking for a way to entertain themselves!

How is it different from pickleball? How is it similar?

The main similarity between padel and pickleball is that it is also a racket sport, and much easier to learn for beginners than tennis. “Both are played on a smaller court, padel with a ball almost identical to a tennis ball, unlike the plastic pickleball ball,” says Maxwell. The biggest difference are the glass walls and fence which surround the padel court that add another dimension to the game, which pickleball does not have. “There is usually an increased tempo and longer rallies and a reliance upon strategy and tactics, over pure power play,” Maxwell says. 

What are the rules?

Padel uses a scoring system that is the same as tennis, with 15-30-40 etc. “And in lower level competitions, an exciting Golden Point format is usually played,” says Maxwell. This means at 40-40 (or Deuce) there is usually one point to win the game, rather than going through an advantage-deuce-advantage-deuce process. 

The rules of the game are also similar to tennis. So after an underhand diagonal serve, the ball must go over the net and land on the floor of the opponent's side before it hits the wall or fence. “It can bounce a maximum of once on the floor before the opponent can return it, but it could hit the floor and then the glass wall and then be hit back,” says Maxwell. In padel, you can also hit the ball out of the court completely, as long as the ball lands on the opponent's floor first. 

What type of equipment do you use?

To play padel, you need a specific court to play on, then a racket and balls. Rackets are available for hire at every padel club for beginners, and once you fall in love with the sport, you'll probably buy your own. “There are a plethora of options which can help you generate more power or control,” says Maxwell. Padel balls are very similar to tennis balls, but with a lower pressure, making it bounce a little less. “For advanced players, specialist padel shoes are recommended for extra grip, cushioning and lateral support,” Maxwell adds. 

Why is padel becoming so popular?

Similar to pickleball, padel is fun, accessible, great exercise and very social. “In padel clubs, you can see kids and grandparents, ex-tennis pros and complete beginners,” says Maxwell. A smaller court than tennis, it keeps players closer together making communication easier on a social level. Maxwell notes that Padel saw a massive increase in popularity worldwide around the time of Covid-19, with people looking for new activities which were within the rules given during lockdowns. “Heavy investment at this time saw more courts being built, and more people having access to play the sport,” he says. 

Celebrities have also helped accelerate the growth of padel, with pro soccer superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham among the devotees. Maxwell notes that Eva Longoria and Serena Williams have also posted playing the sport, or have invested heavily in the sport. “Padel has such incredible world popularity and it is only just beginning in 3 of the main world markets, the US, China and India, which leaves huge potential for growth and influence from each of these,” Maxwell says.

Will it surpass pickleball in popularity?

In many countries, it already has! “Pickleball is incredibly dominant in the US, but less so in other countries, where there has been far more investment in padel, meaning padel still has a stronger global presence,” says Maxwell. The main language of padel, say Maxwell, remains Spanish, which does mean that the attractiveness of the coverage of high level padel is more limited. “So if that develops to more English language coverage, then it will be far more engaging for viewers,” he says. And there is demand for padel to be included in the Olympics, which may help to increase worldwide knowledge of the sport further.

If you find a spot near you where you can try this sport out, give it a whirl. “Just one little warning: once you play, you may never want to stop!” says Maxwell.