Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is an investor in the Game4Padel brand and co-owner of Team AD/vantage. In February 2024, Murray's team lifted the inaugural Hexagon Cup, the world's leading padel event, in Madrid, Spain. Murray has described padel as "one of the fastest emerging racket sports in the world right now."

1 / 30 Fotos

Rafa Nadal's Academy -

Among the teams competing in the inaugural competition was Rafa Nadal's Academy. Founded in 2016 by Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal, the academy is based in Mallorca and features, among other facilities, 12 padel courts (six outdoor, six indoor).

2 / 30 Fotos

Celebrity investors -

Padel has its celebrity backers. American actress Eva Longoria owns ElevenEleven Team USA, which also competed in the Hexagon Cup.

3 / 30 Fotos

A-list fans -

The sport also has its A-list fans. Here, Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo hits a padel ball during an event to support youth scholarships in Singapore in June 2023.

4 / 30 Fotos

Major event -

The Foro Italico sports complex in Rome was the venue in July 2024 for the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel event.

5 / 30 Fotos

Rich pickings -

In 2023, Qatar hosted the Oredoo Qatar Major Premier Padel event at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha. Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno of Argentina were the winners.

6 / 30 Fotos

Life after tennis -

Retired Italian tennis player Roberta Vinci, who won five major tournaments and reached the world no. 1 position, now plays padel professionally. She's pictured in action during the Lexus Padel Vip Cup charity tournament in Poltu Quatu, Italy, in 2021.

7 / 30 Fotos

International Padel Federation -

The sport's global governing body is the International Padel Federation (FIP). Founded in 1991 in Madrid, the federation promotes padel worldwide. As of 2023, there are more than 25 million active players in more than 90 countries. One of the FIP's key responsibilities is organizing the prestigious Padel World Championship for both male and female players.

8 / 30 Fotos

Padel World Championship -

The Padel World Championship has been held every second year since 1992, though the competition was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition was held in Spain.

9 / 30 Fotos

World Padel League -

The World Padel League is more recent. Created in 2023, the competition took to the courts for the first time in June of that year in Dubai.

10 / 30 Fotos

Origins of padel -

Padel has its roots in Acapulco, Mexico, where in 1969 a man named Enrique Corcuera modified his squash court to incorporate elements of platform tennis, a racket sport played on a raised court surrounded by screens.

11 / 30 Fotos

Padel arrives in Europe -

A friend of Corcuera's, the Spanish businessman Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, set up the first padel club in Marbella in 1974. He modified Corcuera's original designs to make the sport more competitive. As padel evolved, glass walls and artificial turf replaced the courts' concrete surfaces.

12 / 30 Fotos

South America takes up padel -

Padel proved popular in Spain, so much so in fact that in 1975 Julio Menditeguy, an Argentinian member of the prince's tennis club in Marbella, helped make the sport famous in South America.

13 / 30 Fotos

Global reach -

Today, padel is played professionally across the world in countries as diverse as Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Italy, the US, and more. Pictured is Delfina Brea of Spain in action in 2023.

14 / 30 Fotos

How is padel played? -

Padel is played with thicker, stringless rackets and lower pressure balls. It's a mixture of squash and tennis, has the same scoring system as tennis, and is most commonly played as sets and games.

15 / 30 Fotos

Double the fun -

Padel is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court. A game is started by bouncing the ball and hitting underarm below waist height.

16 / 30 Fotos

Elements of squash -

After the first return, each player may use the walls much like in squash. However, the ball can bounce and hit the wall only once on your side of the net before you return it. To win a set, you must win six games and be leading by a clear two.

17 / 30 Fotos

Popular with the elderly -

Padel is more relaxed compared to other racket sports. With less ground to cover and a key focus on the social element, it's a sport popular with the elderly.

18 / 30 Fotos

A great leveler -

Characterized by its laid-back atmosphere, padel is often enjoyed by players in casual wear. And it's a game that attracts players of all ages and skill levels.

19 / 30 Fotos

Health benefits -

Padel is a game changer for your health and well-being. According to FatSecret, an estimated 294 calories are burned by doing 30 minutes of padel. Extend your game for an hour and you can burn around 600-800 calories.

20 / 30 Fotos

Offers a cardio workout -

Padel can provide a beneficial cardio workout. It offers a well-rounded routine that targets multiple areas of the body at once.

21 / 30 Fotos

Keeping fit -

Another great benefit of padel is that it promotes muscle toning and core strength.

22 / 30 Fotos

Full-body workout -

And playing padel regularly improves agility, balance, and coordination. In fact, participating in a few games is akin to enjoying a full-body workout.

23 / 30 Fotos

Is tennis endangered? -

Padel's success and global appeal has its detractors. Some athletes fear it could eclipse tennis altogether. Quoted in the Daily Mail, Novak Djokovic says the sport is "endangered."

24 / 30 Fotos

Problem lies at club level -

Djokovic blames tennis clubs for padel's growth, arguing that there is not enough effort to make club-level tennis "accessible" or "affordable."

25 / 30 Fotos

The cost of ignoring club-level tennis -

"If we don't do something about it... they're going to convert all the tennis clubs into padel... because it's just more economical. You have one tennis court. You can build three padel courts on one tennis court. It's just much more financially viable for an owner of a club to have those courts."

26 / 30 Fotos

Game, set, and match? -

Padel professionals, meanwhile, are jubilant that so many people are coming to love their sport and predict it could be on par with tennis within a decade. Pictured is Argentinian padel pro Federico Chingotto.

27 / 30 Fotos

Even more competitive -

While the debate rages on about whether or not padel is the new tennis, the sport continues to be embraced at competition level. Already recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2019, it was then officially designated a discipline of tennis in Britain in 2020. Pictured is the UK's Richard Brooks.

28 / 30 Fotos

First appearance in a major multi-sport event -

And padel was played at the European Games in Poland in June 2023, in its first appearance in a major multi-sport event.

Sources: (Red Bull) (Eurosport) (Hexagon Cup) (WPL World) (FatSecret) (Daily Mail)

29 / 30 Fotos

Shutterstock

0 / 30 Fotos

The Hexagon Cup -

Getty Images

1 / 30 Fotos

Rafa Nadal's Academy -

Getty Images

2 / 30 Fotos

Celebrity investors -

Padel has its celebrity backers. American actress Eva Longoria owns ElevenEleven Team USA, which also competed in the Hexagon Cup.

Getty Images

3 / 30 Fotos

A-list fans -

The sport also has its A-list fans. Here, Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo hits a padel ball during an event to support youth scholarships in Singapore in June 2023.

Getty Images

4 / 30 Fotos

Major event -

The Foro Italico sports complex in Rome was the venue in July 2024 for the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel event.

Getty Images

5 / 30 Fotos

Rich pickings -

In 2023, Qatar hosted the Oredoo Qatar Major Premier Padel event at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha. Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno of Argentina were the winners.

Getty Images

6 / 30 Fotos

Life after tennis -

Getty Images

7 / 30 Fotos

International Padel Federation -

Getty Images

8 / 30 Fotos

Padel World Championship -

The Padel World Championship has been held every second year since 1992, though the competition was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first edition was held in Spain.

Shutterstock

9 / 30 Fotos

World Padel League -

The World Padel League is more recent. Created in 2023, the competition took to the courts for the first time in June of that year in Dubai.

Getty Images

10 / 30 Fotos

Origins of padel -

Getty Images

11 / 30 Fotos

Padel arrives in Europe -

Shutterstock

12 / 30 Fotos

South America takes up padel -

Padel proved popular in Spain, so much so in fact that in 1975 Julio Menditeguy, an Argentinian member of the prince's tennis club in Marbella, helped make the sport famous in South America.

Shutterstock

13 / 30 Fotos

Global reach -

Today, padel is played professionally across the world in countries as diverse as Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Italy, the US, and more. Pictured is Delfina Brea of Spain in action in 2023.

Getty Images

14 / 30 Fotos

How is padel played? -

Padel is played with thicker, stringless rackets and lower pressure balls. It's a mixture of squash and tennis, has the same scoring system as tennis, and is most commonly played as sets and games.

Shutterstock

15 / 30 Fotos

Double the fun -

Padel is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court. A game is started by bouncing the ball and hitting underarm below waist height.

Shutterstock

16 / 30 Fotos

Elements of squash -

Shutterstock

17 / 30 Fotos

Popular with the elderly -

Padel is more relaxed compared to other racket sports. With less ground to cover and a key focus on the social element, it's a sport popular with the elderly.

Shutterstock

18 / 30 Fotos

A great leveler -

Characterized by its laid-back atmosphere, padel is often enjoyed by players in casual wear. And it's a game that attracts players of all ages and skill levels.

Shutterstock

19 / 30 Fotos

Health benefits -

Shutterstock

20 / 30 Fotos

Offers a cardio workout -

Padel can provide a beneficial cardio workout. It offers a well-rounded routine that targets multiple areas of the body at once.

Shutterstock

21 / 30 Fotos

Keeping fit -

Another great benefit of padel is that it promotes muscle toning and core strength.

Shutterstock

22 / 30 Fotos

Full-body workout -

And playing padel regularly improves agility, balance, and coordination. In fact, participating in a few games is akin to enjoying a full-body workout.

Shutterstock

23 / 30 Fotos

Is tennis endangered? -

Padel's success and global appeal has its detractors. Some athletes fear it could eclipse tennis altogether. Quoted in the Daily Mail, Novak Djokovic says the sport is "endangered."

Getty Images

24 / 30 Fotos

Problem lies at club level -

Djokovic blames tennis clubs for padel's growth, arguing that there is not enough effort to make club-level tennis "accessible" or "affordable."

Getty Images

25 / 30 Fotos

The cost of ignoring club-level tennis -

Shutterstock

26 / 30 Fotos

Game, set, and match? -

Getty Images

27 / 30 Fotos

Even more competitive -

Getty Images

28 / 30 Fotos

First appearance in a major multi-sport event -

And padel was played at the European Games in Poland in June 2023, in its first appearance in a major multi-sport event.

Sources: (Red Bull) (Eurosport) (Hexagon Cup) (WPL World) (FatSecret) (Daily Mail)

Getty Images

29 / 30 Fotos

Is padel the new tennis?

The racket sport making huge net gains!

02/10/24 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Sports

It's a sport that Novak Djokovic fears could "endanger" tennis. He's referring to padel, a racket sport that fuses elements of tennis with squash, which is played by over 25 million players and has become the fastest growing sport in the world. But why is padel so popular, and what makes its such an appealing participation sport?

Click through and find out how this racket sport is making huge net gains.