Padel began in 1969 when Enrique Corcuera built the first court at his home in Acapulco, Mexico. He enclosed a small area with concrete walls and a metal fence, creating a new game he called Paddle Corcuera.
His design blended ideas from squash and platform tennis. The walls kept the ball in play and added a new tactical element that shaped the sport.
Modern padel still follows Corcuera’s vision: a smaller, enclosed court, mostly played in doubles, using solid rackets and balls designed for wall rebounds.
The origin story of padel
Padel’s story begins in Mexico in 1969, when Enrique Corcuera built the first enclosed court at his home in Acapulco. He surrounded a small playing area with concrete walls and a metal fence, creating a game he called Paddle Corcuera.
The idea was influenced by earlier racket sports such as platform tennis, which also used enclosed courts and paddles. Corcuera’s twist was making the walls part of the game. This clever change gave rallies a new rhythm and made tactics more important.
Early courts had concrete surfaces and solid walls. Later, glass and artificial turf were introduced, making the sport safer, faster, and more enjoyable for players and spectators alike.
Padel kept tennis-style scoring but developed its own feel: smaller courts, solid rackets, underarm serves, and the unique use of wall rebounds. The result was a sport that blended elements of tennis and squash while standing on its own.
For today’s version of the game, here’s a full guide to the official padel rules.
How padel spread
After Enrique Corcuera created the game in Mexico, Alfonso de Hohenlohe brought it to Spain in 1974. He built the first courts at the Marbella Club, where well-known players like Manolo Santana helped spark local interest. Early tournaments on the Costa del Sol pushed the sport into the spotlight.
In 1975, Julio Menditeguy introduced padel to Argentina. The game took off quickly, and Argentina remains one of the sport’s strongest nations today.
Through the 1990s and early 2000s, Spain experienced rapid growth. The Spanish Sports Council officially recognised padel in 1993, and by the 2000s hundreds of new clubs had opened. Professional tours soon followed, with the Padel Pro Tour starting in 2005 and the World Padel Tour (now called Premier Padel) taking the lead soon after.
Today, padel is played in more than 90 countries and continues to expand across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and into the UK and US.
In the UK, the sport is now thriving. Find out why padel is so popular.
FAQ
Who invented padel?
Padel was invented in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican businessman. He built the first enclosed court at his home in Acapulco, calling it “Paddle Corcuera”.
How was the first padel court created?
Corcuera designed the first court by enclosing a small area with concrete walls and a metal fence. This kept the ball in play and introduced rebounds as part of the game, shaping padel’s unique style.
What sports influenced padel?
Padel was influenced by platform tennis and squash. From tennis it borrowed scoring, but it developed its own format with smaller courts, solid rackets, underarm serves, and wall play.
How did padel spread after 1969?
In 1974, Alfonso de Hohenlohe introduced padel to Spain, building courts at the Marbella Club. In 1975, Julio Menditeguy brought it to Argentina. Both countries became central to the sport’s growth.
How did padel become a global sport?
From Spain and Argentina, padel spread across Europe and Latin America. Professional tours in the 2000s boosted its profile, and today it is played in more than 90 countries worldwide.
What makes padel different from tennis?
Padel is usually played in doubles on a smaller, enclosed court. Rackets are solid, serves are underarm, and the walls are part of play. Scoring follows tennis, but tactics are unique to padel.
