At Padel Magazine, we're used to hearing it all... but some statements are worth savoring. Example: "Padel? It's not a physical sport. You don't move." And of course, this sentence rarely comes from a confirmed padel player, but rather from a recently converted ex-tennis player, still nostalgic for his cross-court passing and his serial aces.
Come on, we put our foot in it : let's talk about it.

Tennis and Physics: A Question of Context

Let's start by giving Federer what is Federer's: Yes, tennis can be a very physical sport., but… it depends.

  • Your level : when you start out, you have to go everywhere to get the ball, you run, you pick it up, you get exhausted. At a high level, it's something else.
  • Your playing style : a Juan Ferrer (pure defender) does not have the same energy cost at all as an Ivo Karlovic (serve & volley, coffee break between two games).
  • The surface At Roland Garros, it's a fast-paced affair. At Wimbledon (especially before the grass became a green carpet), the rallies were quick. Today, even there, the fights last a little longer.

And then there are the breaks: we blow between the points, we tie our shoelaces when changing sides, we meditate, we make a wish. In short, actual playing time is often much less than time spent on the pitch.

Padel, not physical? Ex-tennis players dare anything... and that's how we recognize them!

And what about padel? A sport for lazy people?

This is where we laugh a little. Because padel gives, at the beginning, the illusion that everything is easyThe field is smaller, we play with two people, the ball comes back through the glass... and we feel a bit like the king of the world. Or rather, the king of the cage.

But… the higher you level, the more Padel is becoming a demanding sport :

  • Less time to breathe : no ball boys, no three-minute breaks, the exchanges follow one another quickly.
  • More strategy, more effort : at high level, we don't run for the ball, we anticipate, we explode, we retreat, we charge, we wear ourselves out in endless exchanges where each point is a game of chess… at 180 BPM.
  • A sport that gives you back what you give it : at padel, the more you progress, the faster and more physical the game becomes. Contrary to what some people think, it is not because the land is small that it is easier. It is mainly denser, more intense, more tricky.

Verdict?

Yes, Padel can be a quiet sport… for beginners who play with friends on Sundays. But at a high level, it has nothing to envy in tennis in terms of physical demands. It just has a different logic.

So, tennis friends who have just arrived in the world of padel: Before you judge, play. Seriously. For a long time. Against good people. And then come back and tell us if you're not moving. We'll already have the chair and water bottle ready for your third set.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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