History of Padel

Padel originated in Acapulco, Mexico in 1969. Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican industrialist in search of a less strenuous family-oriented racquet game, altered tennis court dimensions, rules and the racquet to create the new sport.

 

The Mexican elite enjoyed padel for several years before it was picked up by the Spanish royal family and taken to Madrid, where it was first introduced to Europe. In the late 1970’s, the game was introduced into Argentina, again as a game for a wealthier set of people.

 

In the early 1980s, several public courts were built on a popular Argentine beach resort allowing the general public to access the game. By the mid 1980s many more public courts were built in Buenos Aires and since then, the sport has grown at a tremendous pace.

 

Spain and Argentina continue to lead in terms of number of courts and players ranked on the professional tournament circuits.  Currently, over 10 million participants play the sport in 40 countries.

 

Padel is growing worldwide under the International Padel Federation.