Padel vs Tennis: What’s the difference?

Padel and tennis share racquet sport DNA, but they deliver vastly different playing experiences. While tennis has dominated courts worldwide for over a century, padel has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports globally, with participation surging from 12 million players in 2014 to approximately 30 million by 2024. Understanding the distinct characteristics of each sport reveals why players are drawn to these two compelling yet contrasting games

What’s Different About Tennis and Padel?

Curious how padel compares to tennis? Here’s a quick side-by-side to show what’s familiar, what’s new, and why it’s worth a try.

Key Element	Tennis	Padel
Court Size	78 ft x 27 ft (singles) / 36 ft (doubles)	66 ft x 33 ft, enclosed with walls
Walls	No walls, open court	Enclosed with glass and mesh walls, playable off walls
Racket	Strung racket with a long handle	Solid, perforated racket with a shorter handle
Ball	Similar to tennis balls but slightly higher bounce	Similar but with lower pressure for less bounce
Scoring	Traditional tennis scoring (15, 30, 40, game)	Same as tennis (15, 30, 40, game)
Serve	Overhand or underhand serve allowed	Underhand serve only, must bounce before being hit
Gameplay Style	Power and precision, focus on individual skill	More strategic with rebounds, emphasis on teamwork
Doubles vs. Singles	Played as both singles and doubles	Primarily played as doubles
Physical Demand	High endurance, more running and big movements	Less running, more reflexes and control
Popularity	Global, well-established sport	Growing rapidly, especially in Europe & Latin America

Origins and Historical Development

Tennis evolved from lawn tennis in the 1870s and became an established Olympic sport with deep competitive traditions spanning generations. Padel, however, has a much more recent origin story. Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera invented the sport in 1969 at his holiday home in Acapulco, Mexico. Lacking sufficient space for a full tennis court, Corcuera created a smaller 20x10-meter court surrounded by walls, blending elements of tennis and squash into what he originally called "Paddle Corcuera". The sport spread to Spain in 1974 and Argentina in 1975, where it gained massive popularity. Today, padel is played in at least 130 countries, with Spain, Argentina, and Sweden seeing padel participation overtake tennis.​

Court Dimensions and Structure

The most striking difference between these sports lies in their playing surfaces. A standard tennis singles court measures 23.77 meters long by 8.23 meters wide, expanding to 10.97 meters for doubles play. Tennis courts feature open boundaries with no physical barriers beyond the marked lines.​

Padel courts are significantly more compact at 20 meters long by 10 meters wide—roughly one-third the size of a tennis court. The defining feature is the enclosure: padel courts are surrounded by glass walls (typically 3-4 meters high) and metal mesh fencing on all sides. These walls aren't just boundaries—they're active playing surfaces. The ball can rebound off the walls during rallies, introducing strategic angles and tactical complexity absent from tennis. The net height also differs slightly, with padel nets measuring 88 cm at the center compared to tennis nets at 91 cm.​

Equipment: Racquets and Balls

Tennis racquets feature an open frame strung with tensioned cords, typically made from graphite, carbon fiber, or composite materials. These strings are essential for generating power, spin, and precision on shots across the larger court. Tennis racquets can reach up to 73.7 cm in length.​

Padel racquets take a completely different approach—they're solid paddles without strings. Constructed with a foam or EVA core surrounded by materials like carbon fiber or fiberglass, padel racquets feature perforations across their surface. They're smaller, more compact, and lighter than tennis racquets. The solid surface with textured patterns allows players to control spin and execute shots that work with wall rebounds rather than relying purely on power.​

The balls also differ subtly. While similar in appearance, padel balls have slightly lower internal pressure than tennis balls, optimizing them for the enclosed court environment and sustaining longer rallies.​

Gameplay Mechanics and Rules

Both sports use similar scoring systems (15, 30, 40, game), but their gameplay differs fundamentally. In tennis, serves are executed overhand with significant power, and the ball must stay within the open court boundaries. Play emphasizes powerful groundstrokes, volleys, and precise placement across the expansive court.​

Padel requires underhand serving—the server must stand behind the baseline, bounce the ball, and hit it underhand so it lands in the diagonal service box without touching the net. This creates a more accessible entry point for beginners. The integration of walls transforms rally dynamics entirely. Players can use rebounds strategically, hitting shots off the glass or mesh to create unexpected angles. The smaller court makes coverage easier, leading to longer rallies where positioning and tactical shot selection trump raw power.​

Tennis emphasizes individual intensity, power, and court coverage, while padel—almost always played in doubles—focuses on collective strategy, teamwork, and control.​

Physical Demands and Accessibility

Tennis on a larger court demands extensive lateral and longitudinal movement, requiring high levels of cardiovascular endurance, speed, and agility. The sport's power-focused nature puts more stress on shoulders, arms, and joints, particularly during serves and groundstrokes.​

Padel's compact court reduces the running distance significantly, making it less physically demanding for sustained rallies. The underhand serve and emphasis on placement over power make padel more accessible to beginners, older adults, and players with varying fitness levels. The sport's doubles-oriented nature and smaller court foster a more social, inclusive environment. Padel can be easily adapted for players with disabilities through modified rules or equipment, making it highly inclusive.​

Strategic Differences

Tennis strategy revolves around court positioning, powerful serves, baseline consistency, and finishing points at the net. Players must cover large areas and often rely on winner shots—aces, passing shots, or volleys that end rallies decisively.

Padel strategy is more chess-like. The walls create opportunities for indirect shot-making, where players aim to create difficult angles rather than outright winners. Positioning relative to walls, anticipating rebounds, and coordinating with your doubles partner become crucial skills. The game rewards patience, tactical thinking, and creative shot construction over explosive athleticism.​

Growth and Popularity Trends

Tennis remains the most played racquet sport globally with approximately 87 million players. However, padel's growth rate has been explosive. Google search interest in padel increased by 385% over five years, with the sport achieving peak popularity in the US in June 2024 and January 2025. Court construction tells the story: Italy went from approximately 50 padel courts in 2014 to over 9,000 by 2024, with 1,682 affiliated padel clubs and 74,000 registered members by 2023.​

The sport's accessibility, lower space requirements, and social nature have driven rapid adoption across Europe, Latin America, and increasingly in North America, where it's competing with the rise of pickleball.