Padel
Padel (Spanish: pádel), sometimes called padel tennis, is a racket sport of Mexican origin, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court. Although padel shares the same scoring system as tennis, the rules, strokes, and technique are different. The balls used are similar but with a little less pressure. The main differences are that the court has walls and the balls can be played off them in a similar way as in the game of squash and that solid, stringless bats are used. The height of the ball being served must be at or below the waist level.
Padel players on outdoor padel courts | |
| Highest governing body | International Padel Federation (FIP) |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Paddle (US, Canada) |
| First played | 1969, Acapulco, Mexico |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No |
| Team members | Usually doubles |
| Mixed-sex | Separate competitions (mixed sometimes in leagues) |
| Type | Racquet sport |
| Equipment | Padel racquet, padel ball |
| Venue | Outdoor or indoor padel court |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide |
| Olympic | No |
| Paralympic | No |
As of 2023, according to the International Padel Federation (FIP) there are more than 25 million active players in more than 90 countries. Padel is worth about €2bn a year.