Where did padel originate and in which country is it most popular?
Padel is currently taking the UK by storm and growing at a very rapid rate with more courts being built every month. Here in Cardiff alone we have new padel venues such as Smash Padel in Llandaff fields with new venues about to open such as Padium in Cardiff Bay, Slazenger at Culverhouse Cross, Unbound in Llantrisant and more in the works.
Where did padel originate?
With a little research we find that padel (or paddle, paddel, if you spell it wrong :) was created in Mexico in 1969 by an Enrique Corcuera from Acapulco, Mexico. Corcuera adapted a small tennis court at his home by enclosing it with walls and fences to prevent balls from escaping due to limited space. He also modified the rules and used solid paddles instead of strung rackets. This enclosed-court concept became the defining feature of padel.
The sport began as a social game played among friends and guests at Corcuera’s residence. One of those guests, Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe, was instrumental in padel’s expansion. After experiencing the game in Mexico, he introduced it to Spain in the early 1970s, building the first padel courts at the Marbella Club, a luxury resort on the Costa del Sol.
Growth in Spain and Argentina
Padel gained rapid popularity in Spain, especially because it was easy to learn, highly social, and required less physical strain than tennis. Around the same time, the sport reached Argentina, where it experienced explosive growth during the late 1970s and 1980s. Argentina became a major force in padel, producing many of the sport’s early professional players and helping refine competitive play.
International Expansion
By the 1990s, padel had spread throughout Europe and Latin America and in 1991, the International Padel Federation (FIP) was established creating standardized rules and promoting global competition. Since then, padel has expanded into the Middle East, Scandinavia, Asia, and North America, becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
Today
Today, padel is played in over 100 countries and is especially popular in Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Sweden. Professional tours, televised tournaments, and growing grassroots participation have transformed what began as a backyard experiment in Mexico into a globally recognized sport.
In which country is padel most popular?
Spain
Spain is the global center of padel. It has millions of regular players, tens of thousands of courts, extensive media coverage, and the strongest professional infrastructure. Padel is one of the most played sports in the country.
Argentina
Argentina has a deep padel culture and is historically one of the sport’s powerhouses. Many of the world’s top professional players come from Argentina, and the sport is widely played at both amateur and competitive levels.
Italy
Italy has seen rapid padel growth over the past decade. The sport is now mainstream, particularly in major cities, with strong support from clubs, sponsors, and former professional tennis players.
Sweden
Sweden experienced an explosive padel boom in the late 2010s. Despite market corrections, padel remains very popular, with high participation rates and strong recreational play.
France
Padel is growing quickly in France, supported by the national tennis federation. While not yet as dominant as in Spain, it has become a major racket sport nationwide.
Portugal
Portugal has a well-established padel scene, closely linked to Spain, with strong club participation and international-level players.
Mexico
As the birthplace of padel, Mexico maintains a solid and growing padel community, particularly in urban areas.
United Arab Emirates
Padel is extremely popular in the UAE, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. High-quality facilities, strong investment, and celebrity involvement have accelerated growth in the UAE.
With the growth in the UK at an all time high, it is interesting to see how the sport grew around the world and how it became to be so popular here.