History of the Sport

Padel originated in Acapulco, Mexico in 1969.  Mr. Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican industrialist in search of a less strenuous family oriented racket game altered tennis court dimensions, rules and the racket to create the new sport.

Padel was enjoyed by the Mexican elite until it was picked up by the Spanish royal family and taken to Marbella, where it was first introduced to Europe.

The game of Padel quickly became popular and matches were organized to spread Padel across the Costa del Sol, and several clubs began to construct their own courts.

In 1975, the Argentine Julio Menditenguia, a regular visitor to Marbella, witnessed the success of Padel and decided to develop the sport in Argentina. In just a few years he succeeded in making Padel one of Argentina’s leading sports, with more than 2 million players and 10,000 courts built.

In subsequent years, Padel extended to other countries like Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and others.

At present, Padel is extending through different European countries, and federations have already been formed in France, Italy, Belgium, Austria and most recently the UK.  Currently, over 5 million participants play the sport in 20 countries. Padel is growing internationally and is organized under the World Padel Federation.