by At Wimbledon this year Novak Djokovic issued a dire warning to tennis fans. The 24-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia said the racquet sport he dedicated his life to was “at risk” due to the rise of another. He was talking about padel.
The first thing you should know about padel is that it is called pad-le, not pad-el. They call it pickleball in the States. The other thing? Padel is not tennis: you don’t wear all white.
I’m spreading this wisdom soon to save your blouse when you inevitably jump on the bandwagon. Sadly, I wasn’t armed with these facts before my own start earlier this month.
My own red cheeks looking bright against my all-white ensemble by Adidas (shirt £38, shorts £45), whilst carrying Asics Gel-Challenger 14 Padel trainers (£105) and a Summum Maxima Prism Racket by Varlion (Pulco £380 ), I took to the court at Padel Social Club in Earls Court, west London. (NB These garments were light, breathable and comfortable to wear – choose different colours. And remember: pad-le.)
polo shirt£38 and broken short, £45, Adidas; Gel-Challenger 14 Padel Trainer, £105, Asics; Summum Maxima Prism with Varlion racket, £380, Pulco Studios
It’s a Wednesday evening and just after 3pm but the venue is busy. It is one big social event; music is playing on surround sound speakers. Patrons are sipping ice-cold lagers and Aperol spritzes as the July sun beats down on the club’s trendy black shipping-container units.
It’s hard to imagine your local tennis club having this kind of buzz, so Djokovic fears that this new cool scene could reduce the public’s interest in tennis. I’ve barely been here for half an hour and I can see why he’s worried.
“Tennis is the king or queen of all racquet sports, that’s for sure. But at the club level, tennis is in danger,” he said. “If we don’t do something about it, as I said, worldwide or collectively, padel, pickleball in [the] States, they are going to convert all the tennis clubs in padel and pickleball [clubs].”
The number of people playing padel has more than doubled from 12 million in 2014 to 30 million in 2024, according to the International Padel Federation. A report from the Playtonic industry found that 4.5 million padel rackets were sold last year.
In the United Kingdom there are now about 200,000 amateur players and 470 courts at 173 clubs. I’m here to find out what all the fuss is about.
Gilet£140; Aircon shirt£90; broken short£75; hat£40; socks£10 and Back pack, £480, all Pulco Studios, Head Padel trainer; £135, Padel Shacks
Enrique Corcuera founded padel when he hit the world’s first court in his vacation home in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969. It is said that he needed a tennis court, but his garden was not big enough, so a new sport was born.
Padel is played on an artificial surface with the court surrounded by glass walls and a net that separates the two halves of the space. The rules are just like tennis with two exceptions: it must be played in doubles, and you are allowed to return a shot if it hits the court and then bounces off one of the walls. Oh and the racket looks like a smaller Lego version of a regular tennis racket.
Padel is very much in vogue with the rich and famous. It counts sports legends Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Serena Williams (which makes her a traitor?) among its supporters. Various Premier League footballers across the country are also said to be keen. Fans span Pippa Middleton and Shakira, Gerard Butler and Enrique Inglesias. How’s that for broad appeal?
It’s no surprise then that fashion brands are looking to get in on the action. Among the most controversial launches are rackets by Prada and Versace which retail for £1,470 and £1,020 respectively. Dedicated sports brands such as Wilson and Babolat produce padel rackets in the moderate price range of £70-£325.
Elsewhere, British luxury brand Dunhill in May sponsored a padel tournament at The Hurlingham Club, an exclusive members’ club in west London. In fact, Richard Mille and Versace have hosted similar events, showing how this trendy sport has clearly become something for the world’s most discerning people.
There are also heritage padel brands such as Budapell. His yellow T-shirt (£36) is made from lightweight polyester and is typical of sportswear. It has quick dry technology so you get less sweaty while playing. I can personally vouch for its effectiveness. The brand also offers elastic sports shorts (£40) which give one the ability to dart around without restriction.
The internal mesh is not to my taste but that is a matter of personal preference. Babolat has also designed special padel trainers, (£134.99) which provide excellent grip as I run here and there during practice. Padel is often played outdoors and in sunny conditions so the Rudy Project eyewear (£227) came in handy. I quickly forgot I was wearing them and it’s definitely a sign of a good sporting life. If they are not snug, they quickly become a nuisance.
T-shirt£36 and broken short, £40, Bullpadel; Padel Trainers, £134.99, Babolat; Socks£10 and Canon at Varlion racket, £250, both Pulco Studios; sunglasses, £227, The Rudy Project
It’s edgy brands like Pulco Studios that are making real waves among the Padel community. The London-based clothing company has tackled the “Corp Core” trend that is ubiquitous in UK street style. Although the high quality performance gear is designed to be worn on the paddling court, you’re likely to see it being worn by hipsters in east London bars on a Friday night.
Joe Middleton, a veteran in the fashion industry who was president of the European Division at Levi’s, has now teamed up with his son, Charlie, to create this unique label. Its AirCon playing shirt is its main technical product and has been designed to speed up sweat evaporation and avoid upper body wear.
Despite wearing the AirCon shirt (£90) and Gilet (£140) (which admittedly was an aesthetic choice and not because I needed another layer) I stayed at a perfect temperature. The brand’s bucket hat (£40) speaks to its trendy ethos and did a good job of keeping the sun out of my eyes too.
When Pulco first developed the range Joe and Charlie studied the life of a typical padel player in London. They discovered that there were often young professional players who work in the city and change in the office before cycling to their local padel club. So Pulco created a padel-specific backpack (£480) that has room for everything they need on the court but also protects them from the elements on the go.
Three friends and I play a few games and then I have a post-match debriefing in the club yard with a beer. We all agree that padel is more fun and more social than tennis. Why? Because it is very easy to learn and it is very convenient for a decent rally. The games are engaging; they have momentum, and more often than not they end with screams, laughter or an expletive.
You run, you slide, you can even dive, but it doesn’t feel too intense. And best of all you can feel yourself improving quickly. I can see why so many people are getting the bug and embracing the style while they’re at it.
