Gemopedia
Racket & Paddle Sports🇲🇽Mexico20th century

Padel

Fast-growing racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed 20×10m glass-and-mesh court where the ball can bounce off walls — hybrid of tennis and squash.

📐padel court⏱~60 min🌤both

What is Padel?

Padel is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. It's played in doubles on an enclosed 20×10m court surrounded by glass and mesh walls that the ball can bounce off. Players use short, solid-face perforated rackets and low-compression tennis balls. The game was invented in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera, spread to Spain via Marbella in the 1970s, and has exploded globally since 2010 — from ~10 million players in 2019 to 25+ million by 2024. Spain and Argentina remain the dominant countries; the World Padel Tour (WPT) and Premier Padel are the top pro circuits. Padel scoring uses tennis rules (games, sets, tiebreakers) with underhand serving. The enclosed court makes rallies longer and more tactical than tennis — the ball often stays alive after wall rebounds.

Quick facts

Category

Racket & Paddle Sports

Type

Team sport

Players

4–4

Duration

~60 min

Where played

both

Field / court

padel court

Country of origin

🇲🇽 Mexico

Estimated origin

Invented 1969 by Enrique Corcuera in Acapulco, Mexico; spread to Spain via Marbella early 1970s; global boom 2010+

Olympic

No

Popularity

global

How it works

Objective

Win the match by winning 2 of 3 sets. Each set: first to 6 games with 2-game margin (tiebreaker at 6-6).

Match structure

Match: best of 3 sets. Sets: 6 games each with tiebreak at 6-6. Games: win by 2 points at deuce (or ad-out). Underhand serve; ball may bounce off walls during rally.

Rules

Basic rules

  • Underhand serve

    Server bounces ball once behind service line, then hits it below waist across net into diagonal service box.

  • Ball may bounce off walls

    In-play — a ball that bounces once in the court then off a wall is legal to return.

  • Two chances to serve

    First fault = second serve; two faults = double fault (opponent gets point).

  • Scoring

    Tennis scoring: 15-30-40-game. Sets: first to 6 games with 2-game margin. Match: best of 3 sets.

  • Cannot hit wall before ball crosses net

    Ball must clear the net before touching a wall — direct wall shot before net = out.

  • Doubles only

    Standard padel is always 2 vs 2; singles rare.

Advanced rules

  • Bandeja and vibora

    Overhead defensive shots — bandeja is a controlled slice, vibora is an aggressive spin overhead.

  • Bajada

    Ball drops off back wall; must be hit before second bounce to keep rally alive.

  • Pared por 3

    Ball hits both back and side wall before you play it — advanced play.

  • Golden point (WPT)

    At deuce, one decisive point (no ad); introduced to speed up TV pro matches.

  • Position: net vs baseline

    Attacking team occupies net; defending team retreats to baseline; teams try to force opponents back.

Scoring

Tennis-style scoring: 15-30-40-game; win-by-2 games (6-x); best-of-3 sets.

ActionPoints
Point15, 30, 40, game
DeuceTied at 40-40; win by 2 (or Golden Point in WPT)
GameFirst to 4 points with 2-point margin
SetFirst to 6 games with 2-game margin (tiebreak at 6-6)
MatchBest of 3 sets

Win condition · Win 2 of 3 sets to win match.

Playing area

Called

padel court

Dimensions

20 m × 10 m enclosed by 3-4 m walls (back walls glass, side walls glass + mesh top). Net height 88 cm centre.

Rectangular indoor/outdoor court fully enclosed. Back walls of glass, top halves of side walls mesh. Artificial grass surface with fine sand fill.

Equipment

  • Padel racket

    Solid perforated (no strings); 45.5 cm max length; foam-and-carbon composite; various shapes (round, diamond, teardrop).

  • Padel ball

    Low-compression version of tennis ball; slightly less pressure so bounces lower.

  • Court shoes

    Herringbone sole for grip on artificial grass.

  • Kit

    Tennis-style shorts, shirts, or skirt/dress.

Officiating

Recreational padel is self-officiated. Pro matches have chair umpire (single) or full crew for finals.

  • Chair Umpire (pro)
  • Line Judges (pro)
  • Self-officiated (recreational)

Strategies

  • Occupy the net

    Team at net wins ~65% of rallies at pro level — attack whenever possible.

  • Deep lob to force retreat

    High deep lob over opponents drives them back from net.

  • Wall play

    Use back walls to reset defensive rallies; force opponents into awkward positions.

  • Communicate with partner

    'Yours', 'Mine', 'Down the line' — constant vocal coordination.

  • Serve to backhand

    Most opponents weaker on backhand; force weak returns.

Terminology

Bandeja
Controlled overhead slice — defensive-attacking shot to maintain net position.
Vibora
Aggressive overhead spin — sends ball off side wall.
Bajada
Ball dropping off back wall requires timing to hit before 2nd bounce.
Chiquita
Short slow ball dropped just over net.
Volea
Volley — hitting ball before it bounces.
Globo
Lob — high defensive shot over opponents.
Golden Point
One decisive deuce point (no ad); WPT rule to speed up matches.
Pared
Wall — where balls can bounce and stay in play.
Ganchito
Small hook shot from mid-court.
Deep serve
Serve near the back wall to force back-wall return.

Major competitions

  • World Padel Tour (WPT)

    annual (20+ events) · worldwide · since 2013

  • Premier Padel

    annual (16+ events) · worldwide · since 2022

  • World Padel Championship

    biennial · worldwide · since 1992

  • Padel Master Final (year-end)

    annual · Madrid, Spain

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Fernando Belasteguín (Argentina) — 16 consecutive years World No. 1 (2002-2017)
  • Juan Martín Díaz (Argentina) — Bela's long-term partner; multiple World Champion
  • Juan Lebrón (Spain) — 3× consecutive World No. 1 (2020-22)
  • Alejandro 'Ale' Galán (Spain) — World No. 1 in 2020-22 with Lebrón
  • Arturo Coello (Spain) — Current World No. 1 (2024)
  • Agustin Tapia (Argentina) — 2024 Roland Garros champion (with Coello)
  • Alejandra Salazar (Spain) — 3× World Champion; women's legend
  • Ariana Sánchez / Paula Josemaría (Spain) — dominant women's pair 2022-2024

Records

  • Most consecutive years World No. 1

    Fernando Belasteguín — 16 (2002-2017) (2017)

  • Estimated players worldwide

    FIP report — 25+ million (2024) (2024)

  • Fastest-growing racket sport (%)

    Various — Deloitte/Nielsen — MAU +180% globally 2019-2023 (2023)

Learn this sport

beginner

  1. 1

    First lesson

    Padel club coaches offer 60-90 min intro sessions ($20-50).

  2. 2

    Basic strokes

    Learn forehand, backhand, serve, and volley on court.

  3. 3

    Wall play introduction

    Practice reading ball trajectory off back wall.

  4. 4

    Play doubles matches

    Padel is always doubles — start playing with friends immediately.

intermediate

  1. 1

    Take net position

    Aggressive net play separates good from mediocre; practice volley and overhead.

  2. 2

    Learn the bandeja

    Foundation defensive overhead — controlled slice preserves net position.

  3. 3

    Local club league

    Weekly matches build match play skills.

advanced

  1. 1

    Play open padel tournaments

    FIP-affiliated national circuits.

  2. 2

    Refined tactics

    Bajadas, vibora, chiquita, and specific serve patterns.

  3. 3

    Pro pathway

    WPT and Premier Padel qualifying pathway; top-30 make main draw circuits.

Frequently asked

How is padel different from tennis?+

Padel is smaller court (20×10m vs 24×11m), always doubles, enclosed by walls that ball can bounce off, underhand serve, solid perforated racket (no strings), and low-compression ball. Rallies are longer and more tactical.

Where was padel invented?+

In Acapulco, Mexico in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, who added walls to a small court in his home. It spread to Spain via Marbella in the 1970s (introduced by Alfonso de Hohenlohe) and to Argentina soon after.

How popular is padel?+

25+ million players in 40+ countries by 2024. Spain (7M+ players) and Argentina remain dominant. Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide; new courts opening rapidly in the UK, USA, Middle East.

Can you play padel in singles?+

The standard game is doubles only. Singles padel exists on a smaller 8×20m court but is rare in competitive play.

Who is the best padel player?+

Historically: Fernando Belasteguín (16 consecutive years World No. 1). Current (2024): Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia (Coello-Tapia) are the top pair.

How much does a padel racket cost?+

Entry-level: $80-150. Mid-range: $200-300. Pro-level: $350-500. Padel rackets are solid (no strings) so they don't need re-stringing.

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.community