Padel (Spanish: pádel), also sometimes called padel tennis, is a racket sport of Mexican origin, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court.
The US Padel Association was founded in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1993, and opened two courts in the Chattanooga area. The American Padel Association was formed in 1995 and built its first courts at a private club in Houston, Texas for exhibition games.
As of 2022, there were 180 padel courts in the US, and according to The Padel State, there are now padel clubs or courts in at least 20 U.S. states.[28] The A1 Padel tour is based in the US. The US Padel Association forecasts 30,000 courts in the US by 2030.
Rules
- Players: Doubles is the most common format, using a 10 by 20 metre court (32′ 10″ by 65′ 7″). Singles uses a 6 by 20 metre (19′ 8″ by 65′ 7″) court instead.
- Serves: Serves are always underarm and hit below waist level. Balls that hit the walls around the court after bouncing on the ground are still in play.
- Balls: Padel balls are required in official matches; these are similar to tennis balls but are slightly smaller. Padel is usually played casually with regular tennis balls.
- Rackets: Padel rackets are made of a composite material without strings. The hitting surface is perforated. The racket is similar to the one used in platform tennis but has its own specifications.
- Court: The court has a floor made of concrete, plastic or artificial grass. It is designed similarly to a tennis court, only smaller — measuring 10×20 m, with a 0.88m (34.6 inch) high net in the middle. The court is surrounded by 4 metre high walls made of glass or brick, or a fence when outside.