Created almost by chance by a tennis enthusiast in 1969 in Mexico, padel experienced its first expansion and conquered Spain in 1974, before gradually establishing itself on a global scale from the 2000s onwards.

Padel, a sport currently experiencing rapid growth, originated in Latin America. It was initially called "paddle" by its inventor, Enrique Corcuera, in reference to the " paddle tennis ", an American discipline that emerged at the end of the 19th century. Upon its arrival in Spain, the term quickly evolved into "pádel", a name that would later be simplified in some countries like France.

An unusual creation in Mexico

Padel originated in Acapulco, when Enrique Corcuera wanted to build a tennis court on his property. Due to lack of space, he opted for a more compact court of  20 meters long by 10 meters wide dimensions still in force today in the official regulations of the International Federation of Padel.

To prevent the balls from going out of bounds, he had walls built all around the field, initially made of concrete, with a height between  3 and 4 meters Inspired by paddle tennis, he also introduced the use of solid rackets, at the time made of wood, which would later evolve towards composite materials (carbon, fiberglass).

The initial rules deviated from classic tennis: underhand serve, use of rebounds off the walls, doubles play… Padel was thus born as a  hybrid sport , combining tennis, squash and paddle tennis. At that time, nothing suggested that it would become a sport practiced today by  more than 25 million players worldwide .

Spain, the starting point of the rise

Padel is arriving in Europe thanks to Alfonso de Hohenlohewho discovered this sport in Mexico in the 1970s. Seduced, he had the first two pitches built at the Marbella Club in 1974, slightly adapting the rules and the infrastructure.

Padel quickly became popular with the aristocracy and private clubs of the Costa del Sol, before spreading throughout Spain. In the 1980s and 1990s, the sport became more structured:

  • the fields evolve with the introduction of the  heat-tempered glass  and wire fencing
  • the rules are harmonized
  • the first official competitions appear

Today, Spain is the true heart of world padel with  over 20,000 fields and nearly 6 million players which makes it the second most practiced sport in the country after football.

A gradual international expansion

In the 1980s, padel became massively popular in Argentinawhere it is experiencing spectacular growth. In the 1990s, the country had  more than 10 plots and becomes a global benchmark in terms of level of play.

It is in Argentina that a true tactical culture of padel is developing: mastery of the glass, defensive play, strategic intelligence… Many legendary players emerge, contributing to making the country a historical power on the circuit.

En FrancePadel emerged in the 1980s, but its development remained limited for several decades. The creation of the French Federation of Padel 1992 marked an initial structuring, but the real turning point came in 2014, when the discipline was integrated into the French Tennis Federation.

Since then, growth has been exponential: France now has  over 2,000 trails and over 500,000 participants , with a steady increase in the number of licensed members.

A recent global boom

The real turning point for padel came in the 2010s with its professionalization. The launch of World Padel Tour in 2013 structured the international circuit, before the arrival of Premier Padel in 2022, supported by the FIP and major investments.

Padel reaches a historic milestone in France: more than 100 FFT members!

Today, padel is present in  more than 90 countries  and is experiencing rapid growth in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is estimated that  more than 70,000 is the number of pitches in the world , with a sharp acceleration in construction in recent years.

This expansion can be explained by several factors:

  • an accessible and fun sport
  • a strong social dimension (doubles game)
  • quick-to-install infrastructure
  • growing interest from private investors

Long considered a leisure activity, padel is now a structured, media-covered sport undergoing rapid professionalization. Driven by a new generation of players and growing international, it continues to evolve at a great pace.

One thing is certain: its history is still being written, and the coming years could well confirm its status as a major sport on a global scale.

Hugo Duchaussoit

A lover of sports and great stories, I discovered padel on television during the Paris Major. I bring a fresh and curious perspective to the sport. Padel MagazineI rely on my storytelling skills to tell the story of padel in a different way, getting as close as possible to the emotions and stories that make this sport so vibrant.

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