It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, a possible prospect for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and might even be the next best way to find romance. We look at the ins and outs of padel, the game hitting all the right notes.
In Jorge Goikoetxea’s home country of Spain, there’s a bit of a tradition the night before a wedding: both families limber up and hit the courts for a padel tournament.
“It’s a great way of getting to know each other. Everybody plays padel over there‚” he says of the sport, which has become so popular it’s slowly eclipsing the likes of rugby and tennis in Spain.
Could we see this pre-wedding tradition become the norm here in New Zealand? Judging by the sport’s sudden explosion here, perhaps so. But more importantly, those weddings might be arranged on the court.
Session after session and tournament after tournament, more people are signing up to the growing communal WhatsApp group (539 players in the Pacific Padel WhatsApp community already) and telling their friends about the sport, which at first glance seems like a mix between squash, pickleball and tennis.
The first outdoor blue-turfed courts made a splash here last year, and now padel has three dedicated clubs in the North Island (Pacific Padel Albany, The Padel Club in Pāpāmoa, and Padel House in Wellington).
There are also courts such as Riverside Sports Club, Glendowie Padel (at the Glendowie Rackets Club), Remuera Rackets, and Indoor Padel.
These locations are slowly becoming the place to be - both to make friends and get fit.
Goikoetxea, who teaches at Albany’s new custom-built Pacific Padel club, has seen firsthand the rise in this social phenomenon.
“There are people who never met each other before and are now going out for dinners together.”
Padel had its roots in Mexico, where, in 1969, Enrique Corcuera decided to modify his squash court and try something new.
But don’t mix it up with some of the other racquet-based sports. This is a fusion game with its unique style and rules.
“We joke that we should create some shirts saying ‘Padel, not pickle’,” Pacific Padel Albany club and community manager Adam McDonald says.
A padel racquet is a lot lighter than most others, with circular holes and a string to put your hand through. The balls are about the size of a regular tennis ball.
Rules are relatively simple, with defence near the back of the court and attack up the front. A serve must be underarm, bounced, and hit below the waist into the diagonal service box with both feet on the ground and behind the service line.
The ball can be hit on the full or have one bounce off the ground or a second off the squash-like clear back wall (which must be returned on the full).
As a beginner, I found it quite easy to know when I’d hit the ball right and when I’d hit it wrong. This created somewhat of an addictive adrenaline rush.
“Padel is a lot easier to pick up than tennis is,” McDonald says.
“If you’ve got a background in tennis or any other racquet sports, you pick it up even quicker, but it’s accessible to [almost] anyone of any ability. The ball’s always in play because you’re playing off the glass, so you are moving a lot, but in short distances.”
These short distances were what caught me out the most, as I was visibly knackered by the end of my hour-long training session.
Because of the pace and high intensity, McDonald says many people have found health benefits. A passerby coming off the court tells the Herald he’s lost 10kg since starting the sport.
“A lot of people who come have noticed that they’re losing weight, and they no longer need to go to the gym.”
Padel is played in doubles, so naturally, you’re going to make friends. Goikoetxea says that, while most people who play on his courts are in their 30s, there’s no age limit, and he hopes local tournaments will expand to more age groups.
“We have A Grade, B Grade and C Grade tournaments here currently, all with mixed ability levels.”
McDonald says that, within a week or two of starting, new players have often made new friends and are “going out for drinks outside of here or inviting each other over for dinner at their houses, going on road trips”.
From match play to match making, it’s even become a launching ground for budding romances and a great relationship-building platform.
“We’ve had a few people coming and bringing dates here. It’s something different and something new to do for a date,” McDonald says.
“A lot of couples also come and play. Sometimes one of the partners will be playing, and they’re playing here so often that their partner decides they have to come and play - or else they will never see them again.
“Two of the couples that play here regularly have become engaged recently. One of them even used the word ‘Vamos’, which is a big padel phrase, in their engagement post on Instagram. That was pretty cool to see.”
McDonald, originally from the UK, says he encouraged people to sign up after personally experiencing the great social benefits of the sport.
“I’d been living in New Zealand for about two years before I got involved with Pacific Padel. I’d made some friends through other sports. Since coming here, I’ve now got an abundance of friends. It’s a really great way to meet people.
“Just come down and give it a try, and you’ll find out how easy and addictive it is.”
The fact that I ended up leaving with a smile on my face and wanting to give it another go proves his point.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.