The Origins of Padel: Mexico, 1969

Padel was invented in 1969 by Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera, who adapted a squash-like area at his home in Acapulco. In just over half a century, this sport has grown from a backyard pastime into a global phenomenon with more than 35 million players.

The Birth of Padel: Acapulco, 1969

The history of padel is generally traced back to 1969, when Mexican entrepreneur Enrique Corcuera built a court on the grounds of his estate “Las Brisas” in Acapulco, Mexico.

Corcuera wanted to create a tennis-like game area, but the space was limited by surrounding walls. Instead of fighting the constraints, he made the walls part of the game. Thus “Paddle Corcuera” — the ancestor of modern padel — was born.

Key features of the first court:

• A 20 × 10 metre playing area (these dimensions remain unchanged today)
• Walls around the perimeter
• Rules based on tennis but allowing wall bounces
• An underhand serve

Spain: Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg

In 1974, Corcuera’s friend, the Spanish-German aristocrat Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, brought the idea of padel to Marbella (Spain). He built the first courts at his Marbella Club hotel on the Costa del Sol.

Hohenlohe-Langenburg made important changes:

• Replaced solid walls with glass panels — for spectator visibility
• Refined the rules
• Began organising the first tournaments among hotel guests

Marbella became the launch pad for padel’s spread across Spain and Europe.

Argentina: A Mass Sport

In parallel with Spain, padel began to develop in Argentina. During the 1970s–1980s, Argentinians embraced the new sport en masse. Argentina became the first country where padel gained truly mass participation:

• Thousands of clubs nationwide
• Professional leagues from the 1980s
• The Argentine school of padel — one of the strongest in the world
• Argentine players dominated world padel for decades

Timeline

FIP and Globalisation

The International Padel Federation (FIP) was founded in 1991 and became the governing body of world padel. FIP:

• Sets the official rules
• Organises world championships
• Coordinates national federations (100+ countries)
• Manages the world ranking system

In 2022, FIP together with Qatar Sports Investments launched Premier Padel — a new global tour with Major tournaments on four continents.

Padel Today

According to the FIP World Padel Report 2025:

• 35+ million active players worldwide
• 100+ national federations
• 77,300+ courts in 110+ countries
• Spain leads in court numbers (~24,000)
• Player numbers growing 30–40% annually in Europe
• Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in the world

Padel is expanding rapidly in Scandinavian countries (Sweden has over 5,000 courts), Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Middle Eastern nations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the sport called “padel” and not “paddle”? The English word “paddle” describes the racket shape. In Spanish, it was adapted as “pádel”. The international spelling per FIP standards is padel (no accent, no double “d”).

Is padel in the Olympic Games? [UNVERIFIED] As of 2025, padel is not part of the Olympic programme, but FIP is actively lobbying for its inclusion. Padel has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Where is padel most popular? Spain remains the leader in court numbers and players. It is followed by Argentina, Italy, Sweden, and Portugal.