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The rising popularity of padel tennis among fitness enthusiasts

Published: Thu 29 Dec 2022, 5:25 PM

Padel tennis is a highly exhilarating sport that has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Multiple aspects of the sport make it exciting and indulging in playing. In this article, we take you through the history of padel, what Padel tennis is, and its popularity among fitness enthusiasts.

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Padel tennis is a racket sport adapted from tennis and squash. While there are a few similarities between these sports', padel is still a unique sport. Following are some of the basics regarding padel tennis:

  • Padel is played in an enclosed court
  • Scoring in padel is similar to tennis
  • Padel court walls are a part of playing the sport
  • The proportions of a padel court are smaller than a tennis court
  • Padel is typically played in doubles but can be played in singles as well
  • Padel is a fast-paced sport

The popularity of padel tennis in Dubai has increased rapidly, with tournaments organised by different padel courts and organisations. Many sporting enthusiasts have enrolled in coaching centres to learn and adapt to the sport.

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History of padel

In 1969, Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera built his court in the backyard of his holiday home to play a racket sport. This led to the introduction of what we know and adore as padel today. Corcuera wanted to develop a sport that adapted the best of squash and tennis. Thus, he decided to build his court with a few variations. He called the sport 'Padel Crocuera,' later renamed padel.

The sport gained popularity and spread throughout Europe in 1974. Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a friend of Corcuera, played the sport along with him in his backyard. He was instantly impressed and decided to build two similar padel courts in Marbella, Spain.

From this point on, it was only a matter of time before other sporting enthusiasts were drawn toward padel tennis. Julio Menditeguy, a member of Langenburg's tennis club in Spain, felt the same passion and interest in padel and took the sport to Argentina.

Since then, padel has gone through minor updates and has evolved to become one of the most engaging racket sports to date.

Benefits of playing padel tennis

Many fitness enthusiasts and experts have shared their experience of playing padel. One of the most common aspects they have stated is that padel has a positive and reassuring impact on human health. Following are some key benefits of playing padel tennis:

  • Interactive sport
  • Adrenaline playing experience
  • Enhances learning

Interactive sport

The whole idea of playing a sport is to develop a routine, stay healthy and indulge with other individuals. Playing padel allows you to experience all of this during a session.

One of the main factors of padel that enables interactivity is that the sport is generally played in doubles. Therefore, you have the opportunity to interact with your teammate and your opponent players as well.

Interactive sports' are known to have a positive effect on your mindset. Most individuals involved in team sports have expressed their delight in playing with others as it allows them to relax and stay calm.

Adrenaline playing experience

As mentioned before, padel is an exhilarating sport. While playing padel, you instantly realise that every muscle in your body is engaged. Most players of the sport have compared padel to a session of cardio.

People enjoy playing padel as it's a good alternative to going to the gym. Although the idea of going to the gym is to stay healthy and in shape, you can achieve similar health dynamics by playing padel.

Enhances learning

It goes without saying that playing with other individuals allows you to learn the sport and aspects beyond it. A doubles game of padel includes a total of four players. Therefore, the opportunity to learn from one another increases.

For instance, if you are an intermediate player playing along with experienced padel players, you can learn intricate techniques and methods of refining your game.

Other perks of padel sport:

  • Padel can be played throughout the year, as it is predominantly played indoors
  • Playing padel helps strengthen your ability to focus
  • Padel improves sociability
  • Playing padel can enhance your cardiovascular activities
  • Padel significantly improves your reflexes and coordination

Padel tennis: A guide to an engaging racket sports

Now that we have discussed the sport of padel and its benefits. Let's take a look at some of the other details regarding the sport.

Padel court

Right off the bat, you will notice that a padel tennis court is relatively smaller in dimensions than a tennis court. The general measurement of a padel court is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. The four sides of the court are enclosed in a metal mesh and glass combination. Padel is mostly played on indoor courts but can also be played outdoors.

Padel racket and ball

A padel racket is vastly different from a tennis or squash racket. One of the distinguishing features is its surface. Tennis and squash rackets have a wire mesh, while padel rackets have a carbon fiber or fiberglass built surface.

Padel rackets are also smaller in dimensions as compared to other racket sports like tennis. When it comes to the ball used to play padel and tennis, these balls are almost similar with minor variations.

A new padel ball will have up to 11 psi of internal pressure, whereas a tennis ball will have 14 psi of pressure. This difference in pressure makes all the difference while playing. Apart from this, all other aspects of the ball are mostly similar.

Are padel and squash different?

Yes, padel and squash are entirely different sports. Although both can be categorised as racket sports, each sport's features make them unique and different. Padel is played on a court layout where you face your opponent's face ahead, with each team being placed on either side of the net. On the other hand, in squash, all the players are located on the same side of the court. The method of playing padel and squash is also different.

Celebrities who play padel

A number of popular names from the entertainment and sports industry have been spotted playing padel. Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Iker Casillas and David Beckham are among few players.

Play padel and experience the most indulging racket sport

It's only been over 50 years since padel was invented back in 1969. Therefore, as compared to tennis and squash, padel is a modern sport. The sport of padel has had major positive implications on the health and fitness of multiple individuals.

Therefore, if you are residing in the UAE or are currently spending your vacations, head to one of Dubai's top padel courts to enjoy a refreshing session of padel tennis.

Published: Thu 29 Dec 2022, 5:25 PM

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