Like its less-athletic, distant cousin pickleball, it’s a relatively new sport, so there’s lots of potential for growth; and like tennis, pàdel’s outdoor courts and social nature caused its popularity to skyrocket during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pàdel is sitting comfortably in the sweet-spot of racquet sports.
Pàdel has come full-circle in the decades since its origins on a concrete court in 1960s Acapulco. From Mexico, it moved south to Argentina, then over to Europe, where it took a firm hold in the 90s. Along the way, the concrete walls and primitive wooden paddles gave way to the technical carbon-fiber racquets and sleek glass courts that we know today.