Like us, you might be really into padel and see yourself as an expert on the sport. Padel is the number one growing sport to play in the UK at the moment, with a lot of people converting from tennis to padel. Padel is a very dynamic sport, in which you can use the walls of the court to score points. We know that you might be experts on padel by now, but we are going to tell you the 10 things you definitely didn’t know about padel below.
1) Who Invented Padel?
Technically, the racquet sport of padel was first played on the landings of British Victorian cruise ships in the 19th century, but the game as we know it with the walled court was invented by Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera. He was the inventor of the modern padel game and Corcuera’s design is still used to this day.
2) Where Is Padel Most Popular?
As the sport was invented in Latin America, it’s no surprise that it’s very popular throughout the Spanish speaking world. The game has reached France and Italy, with padel gaining more popularity in these Mediterranean countries. Padel is also establishing an active community in Australia.
3) How Did It Come To Britain?
Padel entered the UK racquet scene via Marbella, Spain. Many British expats were introduced to the sport in Spain and it was well-received by the veteran tennis community, because padel is much more of an accessible sport compared to tennis. When the expats returned to Britain, there weren’t any padel courts to play on. As the demand increased, many lawn tennis clubs invested money in installing padel courts for their members.
4) Why Is It Played In Four Walls?
Enrique Corcuera built the 4 walls around his existing tennis court to prevent the ball from getting onto his neighbours land. The 4 walls adds to the pace of the game as it makes padel a fast and dynamic sport. It also contributes to the competitiveness of the game as you compete for points against the walls.
5) How Many Clubs Are In The UK
The number of clubs and padel courts in the UK is increasing every year but currently, there are:
- 50 clubs
- 100 courts
- 15 covered courts
- 64 outdoor courts
6) Who Is The Top Padel Player?
According to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the top player of padel is Spain’s Jorge Martinez. He is currently based in the UK and is currently on 32300 points. He has competed in an impressive 12 events.
7) Are There Any Other Notable Players?
One of the biggest advocates for the sport is Jamie Murray, Andy Murray’s brother. This tennis doubles champion has been championing padel for several years now and has described the sport as ‘a social sport I play with my friends.
8) Do Celebrities Play Padel?
Padel is very popular in the football world as many of the top stars have been seen playing. Lionel Messi has been seen playing a game of padel with his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez. Some other football stars who have been seen playing the game are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gerard Pique and Francesco Totti. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp uses the sport as a team bonding exercise with his training staff.
9) Is There A Padel World Tournament?
There is a world tournament and some of the best players of the sport can be seen competing in countries across the globe including Spain, Italy, Sweden, Argentina, Portugal and Mexico . It may not be as big as some of the major tennis tournaments like Wimbledon, French Open and The US Open but as the sport grows in popularity so will the prestige of the world padel tournament.
10) Is Padel an Olympic Sport?
Unfortunately, padel wasn’t featured in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, but we hope it will get the opportunity to be in the next Olympic games!
