Meet the Next Pickleball

A sport invented to solve a space problem is suddenly taking up space everywhere. Euronews reports that padel—a hybrid of tennis and squash played on a compact, glass-walled court—has surged from a little-known pastime into one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet. Once largely confined to Spain and Argentina, padel is now played in about 90 countries with tens of millions of participants, according to industry estimates. New clubs are opening rapidly across Europe and beyond, and in Britain alone, the Lawn Tennis Association estimates that more than 400,000 people played padel at least once in 2025. The appeal, players say, is immediate: fast rallies, constant involvement, and a social atmosphere that feels welcoming from the first game.

Padel's unlikely journey began in Acapulco in the late 1960s when Enrique Corcuera, frustrated by the lack of space for a full tennis court, built a smaller, enclosed version at his home to keep the ball in play. A friend, Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, took the idea to Marbella in 1974, where it quickly spread throughout Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. Played almost exclusively in doubles, padel keeps points alive and lowers the barrier for beginners thanks to glass walls that return missed shots rather than ending play. That accessibility helped the sport move beyond private clubs and into public parks and everyday routines.

Today, padel's surge is being driven as much by visibility and economics as by player enthusiasm, though its foothold in the US remains relatively early. The Athletic reports that the sport has expanded to roughly 30 states, with investors betting it can grow alongside—not replace—tennis and America's beloved pickleball. And Prestige Online notes that celebrity adoption has helped turbocharge padel's global profile: David Beckham plays it in Majorca with his sons, Rafael Nadal trains on padel courts at his own academy, Lionel Messi regularly plays with teammates, and Serena Williams once famously smashed a glass wall during a padel event in Spain. Still, coaches say the sport's staying power comes from its design, not its star power. "Because there are also walls, you have the chance for the ball to bounce back and not lose it," says Francis Calvache, "unlike in tennis."