Padel isn't just rich-people pickleball. Here's the difference.
Jordan Hart
- Padel might look like pickleball, but there are big differences.
- Padel is another fast-growing racket sport that's particularly popular among the elite.
Many of us might've gotten an invite to join friends for a pickleball session, the game that's boomed in the last few years. However, venture capitalists and retired tennis pros are taking it up a notch with a more exotic racket sport.
Padel clubs are popping up all over the US and attracting an affluent group of followers. Financiers and former athletes pay premium prices to rent out the glass-walled courts.
At first glance, it looks a lot like pickleball, but padel has gained the attention of the luxury realm. Big names like Richard Mille, Valentino, and Prada are advertising to the crowd it has attracted, according to Business of Fashion.
Pickleball is more popular in the US, with about 13.6 million players in 2023, US Pickleball said, citing a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
The International Padel Federation says it has over 25 million active players in more than 130 countries worldwide in 2024.
"I joke to my friends that it's like the new golf," an employee at New York City's Padel Haus told Business Insider during a tour of its Dumbo location, which they say is a place some finance bros bring their clients to work up a sweat while socializing or discussing business.
Here's everything BI's learned about it so far and how it's different from pickleball.
Padel is a blend of tennis and squash.
Padel has the chattiness of pickleball and the intensity of tennis. In fact, the court is essentially a smaller tennis court.
The main thing that sets it apart from other racket sports is the glass casing required to play. During a game, players can hit the ball after it bounces off a glass wall.
That makes it hard for your local park to erect padel courts. Still, it's less of a stretch for the wealthy, who can install glass walls and artificial turf on their sprawling estates — or pay for pricey memberships to exclusive clubs (a single-club membership at Padel Haus, including an initiation fee, costs upwards of $2,000 a year, for example.)
Meantime, pickleball doesn't require much more than a net.
If padel is a mix of tennis and squash, then pickleball is a mix of tennis and badminton.
Pickleball is touted for its accessibility and its ability to be played by people of all ages and fitness levels.
As it has exploded in popularity over the years, pickleball courts have popped up in local parks and abandoned buildings to meet the demand of millions who want to play.
It can be played in doubles or singles, and the court is 20 feet wide and about 44 feet long — smaller than the roughly 30-by-60-foot padel court.
Padel is a team sport.
It's played in doubles with rackets that look like a cross between a pickleball paddle and a squash racket.
The sport originated in Mexico when a businessman named Enrique Corcuera built the first padel court at his home in Acapulco. It eventually made its way to Spain — gaining popularity among affluent Europeans, BoF reported. It's now gaining a foothold in the US; Padel Haus, for example, is expanding from its NYC locations to Nashville and Denver.
Current and former pro athletes are big fans of padel.
Matches consist of high-flying volleys thanks to the classic tennis ball used. It requires more athletic prowess than pickleball, but the artificial turf surface is easier on the joints.
For that reason, BI's Padel Haus tour guide said, former and current pro athletes have picked it up as a hobby. According to BoF, David Beckham, Dwyane Wade, and Lionel Messi are regulars at the waterfront padel club in Miami known as Reserve.
Wayne Boich, the businessman who opened Reserve, told BoF that luxury watchmaker Richard Mille sponsors its annual pro tournament.
Padel clubs are selling a sport — and a lifestyle.
NYC's Padel Haus locations had more than 300 members in May, up from 190 in October 2023.
Membership fees are on par with other high-end gyms in the city. They include a one-time $490 initiation fee, up to $180 in monthly payments, and a $25 to $40 fee to book a court.
It's selling more than just a place for exercise. Padel Haus is also a juice bar, a coworking space, and the Dumbo location had some light workout equipment.
Some members come in every day just to work remotely without ever setting foot on the court.
And luxury brands are cashing in on the padel lifestyle. Prada and Versace have both released designer padel rackets that sell for well over $1,000.
The sport's biggest fans are building padel courts at home.
Residential buildings and gated communities are installing private padel courts for tenants who live in million-dollar units. It's particularly popular among the international elite in Miami.
"There's a lot of high-net-worth individuals that are playing the sport," real-estate agent Marko Gojanovic previously told BI. "Miami's full of South Americans and Europeans that have been playing padel since they were young. So it's like a sport that's reintroduced to them. All of a sudden, it became super popular."
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