What is padel?
The fastest growing racket sport in the world
The first padel court in Europe at The Marbella Club
Padel was invented in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera in Acapulco, Mexico. Lacking space for a traditional tennis court and tired of losing balls, Corcuera built a smaller court enclosed by walls and introduced solid wooden paddles. In 1974, his friend Alfonso de Hohenlohe brought the sport to Spain, building courts at the exclusive Marbella Club. Simultaneously, it traveled to Argentina, where it quickly became a national phenomenon. For decades, padel remained a regional passion within Spain and South America. However, the 2010s and 2020s sparked a massive global boom, transforming it into the world's fastest-growing racket sport.
Officially integrated under the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in 2020, the sport has skyrocketed from a niche curiosity to a mainstream phenomenon. By 2026, active players surpassed 860,000, while the UK's infrastructure rapidly expanded past 1,500 courts nationwide to meet the surging demand. Characterized by a unique culture of "open match" bookinga that encourage mixing with strangers, the UK has uniquely distinguished itself as the most social padel nation in the world.
Padel in the United Kingdom
The main rules of padel, according to the LTA
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Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis, with matches most commonly being played as best of three sets:
Each set is made up of games - the first team to win six games with a two-game lead wins the set
Similarly, to win a game, you must win four points with a two-point advantage. Games are scored as:
15 – one point
30 – two points
40 – three points
If the game goes to 40-40, this is called ‘deuce’
You will still need to win by two clear points – whoever wins the next point will have ‘advantage’ and will then need to claim the following point to seal the game
If you lose the advantage point, it’s back to deuce
If a set reaches 6-6, a tie-break is usually played - the first team to reach seven points, with a two point advantage will win the set
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To serve in padel, stand behind the service line and hit the ball cross court into the opposite service box. Here are some useful tips and rules you need to know about padel serving:
The ball must bounce before you hit it and you must serve underarm
You can only hit the ball below waist height after it bounces
You must keep one foot on the ground and behind the service line
If you land the ball in the service box and then it bounces and hits the cage first, this is out. If it hits the back wall, the point is live
If the ball hits the net cord and lands in on your opponents side of the court, this is a let - you can re-take your serve
Like in tennis, if you make a mistake on your first serve, you get a second serve
If you make a mistake on first and second serve, it's a point to your opponents
Players take it in turns to serve for a whole game
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You can use the walls to your advantage in two ways. You can either let the ball bounce and hit the wall before hitting it back, or you can hit the ball against the wall to try and land it on your opponents’ side of the court.
In a rally you can also aim your shots to bounce and hit the cage to create awkward rebounds for your opponents.
Padel walls: what's in?
If the ball bounces and hits the back glass after one bounce - the shot is in and the point is live. This counts for the serve as well
During a rally (not including a serve), if the ball bounces once and comes off the cage - the shot is in and the point is live
If the ball bounces once and goes over the back glass or over the cage, the shot is in
Padel walls: what's out?
If the ball hits the back glass or cage without bouncing, the shot is out
If the ball bounces twice or more before hitting the the back glass or cage then the point is over
If the ball bounces and hits the cage off a serve, the shot is out