From a Mexican garden to global success

Padel's journey is fascinating: it started from the garden of a Mexican villa and is now played by more than 30 million people in 130 countries. It's particularly popular in Spain and Argentina, where it has practically become a national sport. This rapid spread is owed to the sport's unique character: it's easy to learn, offers a community experience, and is accessible to all age groups.

The beginning of padel's history dates back to 1969, when Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican businessman, built a smaller, wall-enclosed court at his vacation home in Acapulco due to space constraints. The original court's dimensions were determined by the available space, and the walls were built so that the ball wouldn't fly over into the neighbor's garden. This simple, practical solution led to the birth of an entirely new sport. The game's first international ambassador was Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe, who became acquainted with the sport as Corcuera's friend, and in 1974 built the first European padel courts at the Marbella Tennis Club in Spain. From here, the sport spread in Spain, and then through Argentine millionaire Julio Menditeguy to Argentina as well, where its popularity grew explosively in the 1980s. Today, Argentina has more than 2 million registered players, and padel is the second most popular sport after football.

Padel's rules didn't develop this way by chance – they create a perfect balance between challenge and enjoyability, while preserving the sport's community-oriented, friendly character. The rules have gradually been refined over the decades, but the basic concept has remained unchanged: a game that's easy to pick up but hard to master, combining tennis's elegant movements with squash's dynamics. The first official rulebook was issued in 1993 in Spain, and in 2005 the International Padel Federation (FIP) was founded, which today brings together more than 40 national federations. The sport's professionalization began in the 1990s, with the first World Championship held in 1992 in Madrid. Today, a professional world circuit (World Padel Tour) exists, where the best players compete for significant prize money. Padel also has Olympic ambitions: the sport's leaders are actively working to have padel included in the Olympic program, which would further increase the sport's global recognition and prestige.

Try this dynamic sport for yourself and experience why padel is conquering the world! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, padel is guaranteed to offer new and exciting challenges, while you can become part of a friendly, supportive community.