Learn More About the World's Fastest Growing Sport

Once You Start You Can't Stop

Padel 101 FAQs

• What is padel?

  Padel is the fastest growing sport in the world – a mix between tennis and squash. It’s usually played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by walls of glass and metallic mash. The court is one third of the size of a tennis court.

  It’s a great sport for players of all ages and skills, as it is both quick and easy to learn, yet hard to master.
  
  Padel is not as dominated by strength and serve like in tennis, rather careful placement, match strategy and lots of teamwork.

• Who invented padel?

  Enrique Corcuera set up the first ever padel court at his holiday home in Acapulco, Mexico in 1969. He didn’t have enough space for a tennis court and wanted to stop the tennis balls flying into the neighbors garden – and the rest is history.

• How many padel players per court?

  Padel is a team sport played in doubles. Padel courts are designed for four players, making the sport highly social and fun in close proximity with friends and family.

• How does padel scoring work?

  Same as tennis! A game follows the score of 15, 30, 40, Deuce (40-40) and Advantage. At deuce you can play golden point (one point for the winner) or play it out and win by two consecutive points!
  
  A set is won when a team wins six games and there is at least a two game difference.

• Can you use the walls in padel?

  Yes, and that’s half the fun! The rules allow for the use of the back and sidewalls, which results in longer rallies than in a conventional tennis match. The ball can bounce of any wall but can only hit the turf once before being returned.

• What are padel rackets made of?

  A padel racket, unlike a tennis or squash racket, has no strings and is usually made of carbon fibre or fiberglass.

• Are padel balls the same as tennis balls?

  They have the same materials and are very similar. Except padel balls have slightly lower pressure for less bounce.

• How big is a padel court?

  One padel court is 33 ft x 66 ft (half the size of a tennis court) 

• Are skills transferable as a tennis or squash player?

  Yes, many of the skills are transferable and make it easier to start playing. Padel has its own nuances with using the walls, how to return smashes, lobs, teamwork with your partner and much more. 

  Many padel players have never even played any racket sports before and pick up the sport easily! 

• How do I check my padel rating?

  You can take a 30 minute coaching session or join a group clinic with an instructor to assess your level. You will then have a verified rating and placed in the right player group for competitions and leagues.

  As you keep improving, you can re-assess your level every 6 months. 

How Padel Began

In 1969, Enrique Corcuera invented padel out of necessity in Acapulco, Mexico. He didn't have enough space for a tennis court and wanted to stop the balls flying into the neighbors garden.

Padel went viral in the past 10 years with rapid global growth. Over 40,000 courts in over 110 countries. And no sign of slowing down.

Padel grew as a domestic sport in Spain, South America and parts of Europe - but took a few decades to take the world by storm.

The US is the next exciting growth market with just ~300 padel courts. At Sensa we plan to change that...

How Padel Began

In 1969, Enrique Corcuera invented Padel, adapting his home squash court with walls and adding elements of tennis.


Padel has since been growing rapidly, with 40,000 courts globally. Only 120 courts currently exist in the US., with Sensa here to change that.


Padel is far more accessible than tennis – it’s for all skill levels and ages, without the country club stigma!


In cities where space is precious, Padel provides more courts than tennis, allowing 6x as many people to play per court.