Does size make a difference in padel?

Au tennis, retirees Isner, Del Potro, Karlović, or even the young Frenchman Mpetshi Perricard are distinguished by their size , often greater than two meters. In this sport, the advantage lies mainly in the Service and flight, while for the shifting, it is often a handicap. To basket, the more we are on first-name terms with the ceiling, the easier it is to dunker. To volley, to be large is usually a atout. But to paddle, this unique sport where walls shorten trajectories, where the defense requires bending the legs, and where the exchanges are often won at ground level, the is size an advantage of... size ?

The height of the best players: what does the FIP ranking say?

Here is a table of the top 20 men's and women's of the rank FIP (May 2025) with respective sizes of the players :

Rank	Men	Height (m)	Rank	Women	Height (m)
1	Arturo Coello	1,90	1	Ari Sánchez	1,73
2	Agustín Tapia	1,75	2	Paula Josemaría	1,63
3	Alejandro Galán	1,86	3	Gemma Triay	1,77
4	Federico Chingotto	1,72	4	Delfi Brea	1,70
5	Juan Lebrón	1,84	5	Bea González	1,78
6	Franco Stupaczuk	1,75	6	Claudia Fernández	1,73
7	Martín Di Nenno	1,73	7	Marta Ortega	1,73
8	Paquito Navarro	1,78	8	Verónica Virseda	1,82
9	Juan Tello	1,90	9	Alejandra Salazar	1,65
10	mike yanguas	1,86	10	Lucia Sainz	1,76
11	Javi Garrido	1,86	11	Tamara Icardo	1,70
12	Álex Ruiz	1,89	12	Sofia Araújo	1,80
13	Sanyo Gutiérrez	1,74	13	Jessica castelló	1,66
14	Momo González	1,77	14	Virginia Riera	1,78
15	Coki Nieto	1,72	15	Aranzazu Osoro	1,68
16	Eduardo Alonso	1,83	16	Lucía Martínez	1,75
17	I fight Capra	1,78	17	Carla Mesa	1,69
18	Jon sanz	1,86	18	Tenorio tasting	1,62
19	Javi Rico	1,73	19	Carmen Goenaga	1,68
20	Lucho Augsburger	1,90	20	Anna Cortiles	1,65

La average of the top 20 men thus established itself at 1,81 m, while that of the women are 1,72 m tall. But then, what are these statistics really tell us ?

Being tall or short: advantages and disadvantages

For tall players (over 1m)

Players like Arturo Coello, Juan Tello ou Álex Ruiz benefit from a net span and a ability to smash much more important, greatly facilitating the "par-3" or 4But also diving services. Their Large size allows them to cut the trajectories with greater ease and efficiency.

However, this type of template also has its cons and a higher center of gravity complicates the fast movements and makes them low defenses more delicate and physically expensive. The step back to manage rebounds against the glass is also more important, which requires a higher energy expenditure. Finally, the side starts are often less explosive, penalizing these great players in certain quick exchange situations.

For shorter players (1m to 70m)

More compact players such asAgustín Tapia, Federico Chingotto ou Delfi Brea naturally present lower supports, which gives them a excellent ability to defend low balls, but also those who shave the grilles and windows. These players also benefit from a exceptional liveliness in changes of direction and a bounce read-ahead.

However, these players are often limited in the finishing smash. The downward trajectory of their smash being less pronounced, they must adapt their strategy by favoring for example the topspin smash or "x3". Likewise, their high flights are more complicated to achieve, and the opposing lobs become an easier weapon to use against them.

What do scientific studies say?

Many recent studies demonstrate that the The ideal size for padel does not exist. Here are the main data that support this thesis:

Sánchez-García (Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2022) : The reaction speed and aerobic capacity (VO₂ max) are much more decisive than size alone in reaching the padel elite.
Muñoz et al. (Sensors, 2023) : The players of over 1 m 85 score more points thanks to smashes (22%), while the players under 1m win as much through defensive strategies to lobbed-volleys (24%), highlighting a similar efficiency with different templates.
Gutiérrez & Torres (European Journal of Sport Science, 2021) : None significant correlation between size and victories. The lateral speed explains overall performance better than size itself.

These research clearly demonstrates that success in padel high level is multifactorial and does not depend solely on a number on the height chart.

Size influences style, not absolute performance

The reality of high level padel Is simple : be tall facilitates certain aspects of the game, notably the attacking game, while the smaller players exploit their agility and their quick to dominate defensive and tactical exchanges. The secret to success therefore lies not in ideal size, but in the ability to take full advantage of one's specific physical assets. In padel, the Victory is based on a winning combination of power, tactics and skill., and not a few centimeters more or less.

Maceo ZERHAT