Messi and Alcaraz love padel, and its global rise is nearing the Olympics

Padel made its Asian Games debut in Nagoya on Monday, marking a major step in its push for Olympic inclusion.

The fast-growing racquet sport has been embraced by stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Carlos Alcaraz. It was added as a medal sport at the continent's biggest multi-sport event.

A mix of tennis and squash, padel is played on smaller courts surrounded by glass walls. It is generally played in doubles using solid racquets rather than the stringed racquets used in tennis.

The sporrt is estimated to have around 38 million players worldwide. Officials say it is now played in 170 countries and territories, with around 85,000 courts.

Will padel become an Olympic sport?

Padel is not yet an Olympic sport, but officials are actively working towards inclusion. International Padel Federation official Donatella Del Gaudio said the sport's next major ambition is joining the Olympic programme.

She called the Asian Games debut a "closer step" and said the sport must respect the Olympic timeline.

The sport has already featured at the European Games. Del Gaudio said officials need to be patient and diligent. "We are working hard to make it happen soon," she said.

How did padel fare at its Asian Games debut in Nagoya?

However, the quiet atmosphere in Nagoya contrasted with padel's growing popularity elsewhere.

Malazarte won her opening match alongside doubles partner Danna Abad and welcomed the sport's inclusion. "Padel in Europe is really big and it has just started here, so we're just glad that they added padel," she told AFP.

The sport remains relatively unfamiliar in Japan, where some spectators at the modest Higashi Sports Centre were discovering it for the first time. Admission was free, and one spectator told AFP that she and a friend had simply stopped by to watch before going for lunch.

Sixty-year-old Yuko Hiraiwa said she enjoyed the action but felt the atmosphere was "a bit quiet". "I play padel but this was the first time I've seen it live," she said. "It was really dynamic and exciting."

Is padel popular with spectators?

The sport now has a professional tour, and an event at the Roland Garros tennis complex in Paris earlier this month attracted more than 80,000 spectators.

Its popularity has also been boosted by stars including footballers Ronaldo and Messi and Formula One driver Max Verstappen.

Padel officials say the sport attracts players of different ages, and women account for around half of its global playing population.

The sport appeared to win over some new fans in Nagoya, with spectators reacting enthusiastically to impressive shots and lengthy rallies. Interest was further boosted by Japan's Teruaki Ando and Shinnosuke Nakamura, who edged a Lebanese pair in a tense encounter.

For Del Gaudio, the debut represents another important milestone. "It's confirmation of padel's growth worldwide," she said. "It represents a closer step to the Olympics."