Padel, a sport for everyone

One of the fundamental aspects of the international success of padel is that it is a sport for everyone, extremely democratic and can be played at any age. The most outstanding example is seen in the professional sector where we see barely 20-year-olds playing alongside over 40-year-old players but all at the highest level. Although the game has evolved over the past few years to become faster and more physical, a good tactical vision of the game is fundamental to play successfully. Furthermore, the sport requires a physical component which is perhaps less strenuous than other sports considering the reduced dimensions of the court and the game played in pairs.

Another fundamental aspect in the growth of padel is that very little preparation is needed to start to enjoy the sport. A novice player needs to spend about 20 hours on court to gain confidence with some shots, certain positions, and the use of the walls but fun can be had from the very first friendly matches because the glass walls help keep the ball in play and no special technique is needed to send the ball over to the other side of the net.

Padel is a sport for everyone and for all ages and now increasingly young children are starting to play either in clubs or through the "Racquets in Class" project promoted by the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT). In 2022, FIT has invested more than €6 million to extend the project – which also includes beach tennis and table tennis as well as padel and tennis  - to secondary school. There is no age limit for playing padel: the courts are always open for anyone who feels ready for a game.