Pàdel

A by-no-means-exhaustive list of the names and neologisms that define a new(ish) sport

Many sports like to claim that they’re the fastest-growing, and they often have a legitimate claim to the title, depending on how you measure it. But, by almost any yardstick, pàdel really is the world’s fastest-growing sport.

The hottest clubs around the world don’t feature EDM dance floors or after-hours speakeasies. They’re racquet-centric, they’re wellness-affiliated, and they’re taking advantage of the fastest-growing sport on the planet. Welcome to the global network of pàdel.

Pàdel is about people. Whether you play competitively and want to win, or play socially and need a reason to wear that outfit, it revolves around coming together as a team to make all the different reasons come to life.

Building a community, one pàdel club at a time, is what the Londoners behind Gayns are up to. From drills to pàdel explainers, kinship comes first.

Spanish player Martita Ortega—known as La Doctora on the professional pàdel circuit for her dazzling game as well as her active medical practice—is a breakout star in the PPL. Her on-court prowess has taken her to the heights of the game: in 2019, Martita became the youngest player ever to achieve a number-one world ranking, and her high-energy pàdel play has netted her more than 10 international titles. Racquet sat down with the Madrileño at the beginning and end of the PPL season to find out more.