WHAT IS PADEL?
Padel is a racket sport that is always played in doubles on an enclosed court. It is much like a cross between tennis and squash where the ball can bounce off the glass wall or metallic mesh that surrounds the court. A padel game is usually played outdoors. Padel was invented in Mexico in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera when he modified his squash court to welcome elements of platform tennis. In the 1970s, a Spanish friend of Corcuera brought the padel sport to Spain where it is now considered one of the most popular sports in the country. Other countries where padel sport is a hit include Mexico, Argentina, the UK, and the USA.
PADEL COURT SIZE AND WALLS
If padel is like tennis with walls, can you play it on a tennis court if you just put up walls around it? The answer is a quick no. The padel court size is about a quarter smaller than that of a tennis court and the walls required are not portable. A padel court is a rectangle that is 10 meters wide and 20 meters long. It is surrounded by walls made of concrete, glass, or wire mesh. The flooring can be made of cement, concrete, wood, or artificial turf. A net with a maximum height of 33cm in the middle and 92 cm at the edges divides the court into two. The service area is within 3 meters from the back wall. Indoor courts with all four walls made of glass are becoming popular but generally use the same materials as outdoor courts.
PADEL RULES: HOW TO PLAY
Here are the padel rules that every player of padel tennis needs to know. The right to serve first is decided by a draw. Serve is done by bouncing the ball off the ground and hitting it diagonally into the service box on the opponent’s side. The ball must be hit when it is at or below the waist level. Scoring in padel sport follows that of tennis: 15, 30, 40, game 40-40 is a deuce.
Padel is a game of agility that requires players to quickly move around the court. Hence, it is important that players wear clothing that will allow them the freedom of movement the sport demands. Lightweight padel shirts made of breathable fabric are popular among men as they keep the players cool on a hot game day. Padel is typically an outdoor sport where players are exposed to the heat of the sun so keeping cool while playing is important. Among women, singlets and tanks made of similar breathable fabric are popular for the same reason.
The International Padel Federation is the world governing body of the padel sport and organizes the Padel World Championship. The federation was founded in Madrid, by Spain, in 1991 by the Argentine Padel Association, Spanish Padel Association, and Uruguayan Padel Association.
The World Padel Tour is the top professional padel circuit in the international level. The best players from all over the world compete and aim for the top spot in the rankings. Tamara Icardo of Spain, one of the top padel players globally, is wearing the Macron brand in her padel games in the 2022 tournaments. Although padel is a sport that is played worldwide and organized by national federations at the country level, it is not yet an Olympic sport.
