Padel’s Global Rise: How the Sport Conquered the World

Padel may have started in a backyard, but it’s now one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet. How did we get here?

Here are the key milestones that helped define padel as we know it:

• 1969: Enrique Corcuera builds the first padel court in Acapulco, Mexico.

• 1974: Alfonso de Hohenlohe introduces the sport to Marbella, Spain.

• 1991: The International Padel Federation (FIP) is formed to unify rules and expand reach.

• 2005–2010: Growth explodes in Argentina, Spain, and Latin America.

• 2013: Launch of the World Padel Tour (WPT) — the official global competition circuit.

• 2020–2024: Padel expands rapidly in the UK, USA, Sweden, Italy and the Middle East.

From grassroots courts to international stadiums, padel’s rise has been fast — but it’s just getting started.