Padel: Sporting fast food or the future of tennis?

Have you tried to learn tennis? If you did, chances are that you couldn’t cope with the long learning curve that the sport requires (at least for most of us).

You should probably try padel. And if you are an active sports person chances are that you have already tried it. And fell in love with it.

Just like thousands of pedal fans across the region as well as the entire globe.

Whether it's Karachi or Mumbai, Lahore or New Delhi, new pedal courts are being built attracting more and more players across various age categories.

Fastest growing sport in the world?

Over the years, the growth and popularity of padel have surged to the extent that it is currently considered as the fastest-growing sport in the world. A mixture of both squash and tennis, padel has gained massive fame among young people as it provides enjoyment in a short and less tiring manner.

We can also label padel as something of a sporting fast food, as it’s spreading like wildfire among youngsters not just in Western and Latin American territories but also in countries like India and Pakistan.

Even tennis giant Novak Djokovic has described the rapid rise of padel as a threat to club-level tennis. "Tennis is the king or queen of all racket sports, that's true. But on a club level, it is endangered. If we don't do something about it… globally or collectively, padel, pickleball in [the] States, they're going to convert all the tennis clubs into padel and pickleball because it's just more economical,” said Djokovic in an article on Sky News.

"You have one tennis court. You can build three padel courts on one tennis court. You do the simple math. It's just much more financially viable for an owner of a club to have those courts," Djokovic stressed.

What is padel?

Unlike tennis and squash, padel is a double-player-based game. It consists of a squash-like court with glass walls considered in play as the players can hit the ball against their glass.

The padel courts are much shorter compared to the tennis courts. The tennis courts are around 23.77m in length and 10.97m in width, while the padel courts are around 20m in length and 10m in width.

The racket used in the sport also differs from the one used in tennis, as the handle and overall length are much shorter. Padel rackets do not have racket rings, while balls are smaller and less bouncy than tennis balls. The padel serve is also performed under-arm, as compared to the overhead serve in tennis.

How did it all start?

According to Red Bull, padel originated in the USA in the 1920s, but the sport is considered the brainchild of Enrique Corcuera of Mexico in the late 1960s.

Enrique, a businessman who enjoyed tennis but found it too demanding, and his thrust for an enjoyable and less demanding sport made him introduce a game called “padel.”

Rise in popularity

The popularity of the game took giant steps at the time of COVID-19 when people did not have physical contact. As of 2023, there are more than 25 million active players in more than 90 countries, according to the International Padel Federation (FIP).

The sport has a massive presence in Latin America and Europe, but being an enjoyable and healthy sport, it is making its impact in new territories as well.

Padel players celebrate after winning a match.International Padel Federation's official website

The FIP has been arranging several international events, including the World Championship and events at the European and South American levels.

Padel in Pakistan

The game has marked its entry in Pakistan in recent years, but the expansion is limited to the urban cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

The positive thing has been the involvement of squash legend Jahangir Khan in developing the sport. In Karachi, the Legends Arena, which has been at the forefront, works under the Chairmanship of Jahangir, who also has the same facility at his complex.

Being the pioneer, the Legends Arena has three state-of-the-art padel courts at their complex and has become a hub for sports enthusiasts. They also hosted the Pakistan Padel Open Championship in 2023. Apart from Legends Arena, Smash X is another world-class facility.

Aerial view of Smash X Padel club in Karachi. Nukta

In addition to Karachi, Lahore state-of-the-art facilities have also been developed in Lahore. The Lahore Padel Club, Padel Park Lahore, Padel at Goldcrest Mall, and Mega Arena are among them. Islamabad Padel Club is another notable facility in the capital city of Pakistan.

With the support of government-owned sports organizations, padel can get a boost, and considering the nature of the game, assistance from the corporate sector can prove to be the cornerstone.

Making waves in India

In India, padel tennis has also seen massive growth and ground realities seem to be in the positive direction, as compared to Pakistan, as their government has taken positive steps in recent years.

According to Vogue India, there was a single pedal court in the country in 2017, and today, there are about 100 courts across commercial sites like gymkhanas, private clubs and residences.

A group of padel players pose for a photograph before a match.Indian Padel Federation's official Instagram

The Indian Padel Federation has been at the forefront of promoting and developing the sport in the country. In November this year, it will also host the FIP Promotion India event, which might yield positive results in the long run.