Pàdel was invented in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, who adapted a piece of land exactly 20x10m long, in his Acapulco home, to create an enclosed court for playing a sport inspired by platform-tennis, fronton, and tennis itself.
With an international reach and a cult-like following all over the world, it’s shocking to know that many people still have no clue what it is.
The first time I stepped into a pàdel court, it felt like someone finally added everything a tennis court ever needed. I couldn’t stop staring at how beautiful the racquet was, and the glass around me felt like an intimate speakeasy, only acknowledged by the typical “if you know you know” crowd. The sound of the ball bouncing off the glass was music to my ears, and to be honest, I would've stayed there all day and night if I could.
Cue the Miley Cyrus song from 2009. I can confidently tell you nobody in 2025 would’ve expected America to join the fun. But here we are, dancing to a different tune that's not tennis these days, and you guessed it…Yeah, it's a Pàdel Party in the U.S.A.
I’m what you’d call a pàdel addict, like so many others who stumble into this sport and never leave. They say in Spanish, “el pàdel enganchas,” which translates to pàdel hooks you, and by the looks of things, it’s true.
Incoming: the quickest backstory you’ll ever read. I watched a match on YouTube, thought it was an Olympic sport, dragged my girlfriend to a local club the next day, and I’ve been chasing the pop ever since.
You’ve heard of the Happy Hormone, right? Well, day after day, hit after hit, dopamine and pàdel may be the new one-two punch. Out with the doom scroll and in with the double walls…you’ll get that later.
So, what is pàdel, and what does it mean for racquet sports in the U.S.?
First: It’s not just a sport. It’s a signal of where racquet culture is headed next. Pàdel is a fast-paced, glass-enclosed racquet sport born in Mexico and perfected in Spain. The game is played strictly in doubles, with the same scoring system as tennis, but completely different rules, strokes, and technique. It’s social, stylish, and explosively global.
According to Playtomic Pàdel Report, in 2024, nearly nine new clubs opened every single day and more than 7,000 new courts were built globally. While the US contribution attributes to a formidable portion of the pie, faster expansion is expected in 2026, with real acceleration projected for 2027. Main hotspots like Miami and Texas are the early adopters leading the charge domestically. No wonder this is the fastest-growing sport in the world.
Elite-level athletes are a part of the revolution. Redbull, being no stranger to pàdel and the broadcasting of the sport across the world, revealed to us that Formula 1’s Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are some of the high-profile figures to hold a pàdel racquet.
Tennis’s new golden boy, Carlos Alcaraz, has shown his love for Pàdel by playing with stars of the sport like Arturo Coello, and even attending Premier Pàdel's first-ever American circuit stop in Miami.
Serena, Nadal, Djokovic, you name it: all have endorsed the sport through social media by being a part of the pàdel craze, playing their fair share of matches, and conceding that it’s recreationally some of the most fun they’ve experienced in recent years. Serena shared on Instagram after her first time on court: ‘Socks, ankle, outfit… on point. Pàdel? Ok, issa 56 vibe.’ It turns out that legends of the tennis court are just as hooked on pàdel.
While the first-ever Premier Pàdel event in the US by Qatar Airways just took place earlier this year, the Pro Pàdel League, or the PPL, is North America’s first professional pàdel circuit. It’s raised $10 million, catapulting the sport to new No wonder this is the fastestgrowing sport in the world. heights in the US.
Mike Dorfman, CEO of PPL, estimates the country will have 15 million active players and 20,000 courts in five years. Marcos De Pilar and The RSPA (Racquet Sports Professionals Association), formerly known as USPTA, have teamed up to offer a pàdel certification program, further emphasizing that pàdel is here to stay.
If ‘here to stay’ was a person, that would be Brittany Dubins. The top-ranked American made history in July 2025 as the first US woman to win a International Pàdel Federation (FIP) title, setting the standard for American women and putting the US on the world pàdel map.
And it’s not Just Dubins; Marta Morga is making waves, too. A former pro tennis player and NCAA Division I standout, she started playing pàdel in San Diego three years ago and quickly turned pro, transforming her new passion into a hub for connection and competition. Ranked no. 5 in the US, she is a living example of how elite tennis players can pivot and excel in pàdel.
Ok, what’s the catch? Why are so many players switching over from tennis, and why are club owners prioritizing pàdel over pickleball?
(Before we go into it, NEVER (and I mean NEVER) confuse pàdel with pickleball. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met someone who thinks I’m playing pickleball, even after I tell them what it’s called, show them the ball, and point out the futuristic glass around the court.)
The ‘easy to play, hard to master’ nature of the sport brings new audiences to the racquet space and grows the economy tenfold. Club owners see the demand for pàdel; it’s almost a no-brainer to insert 20mx10m courts wherever there's an unused tennis court.
As a result, racquet enthusiasts play multiple times a week. Clubs are more booked than ever. Clinics, lessons, and privates are scheduled. Ultimately, everyone wins.
Now: is pàdel the new tennis? I’m sure you are wondering, and some of you are even hesitant to give it a chance, holding tennis near and dear to your heart like a community of gatekeepers, never to let anyone dare enter without an all-white invitation from Wimbledon itself.
Nope. It’s pàdel. It’s a completely different game, but with a familiar, fashionable feel.
The social aspect of a doubles game on a smaller court naturally calls for faster and more frequent interaction and networking, from midweek club tournaments featuring CEOs, content creators, and retirees playing side by side, to the girlies on TikTok entering their ‘Pilates era,’ who can’t wait to hit the mats right before a match on a gorgeous sunny Saturday afternoon.
If you don’t believe me, ask Sensa Pàdel in Nashville, Tennessee, how well their Mat Pilates class continues to build the community together in the heart of Germantown. At Ultra Pàdel Club in Miami, USA national team member Andrea Samson is doing the same, coaching and raising the pàdel profile across the American sports scene.
Blurring the lines between them all isn’t always the easiest thing to do. In all honesty, sometimes I can’t tell if a game's being played or a photoshoot is taking place. Two things can be true, and at the same time.
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.
In today’s ever-so-connected, yet somehow rather isolated, digital age, everyone needs a third place. Well, there’s a new wave of trailblazers finding freedom on the pàdel courts today—specifically in the good ol’ US of A.
Jeury San lives in Atlanta and runs Padelicioso, turning a love for pàdel into the go-to social club.
