Paddle Tennis: How It Differs from Padel
Paddle tennis (also called POP Tennis in the USA) is a different sport from padel. Paddle tennis is played on an open court without walls, the ball can be played in singles, and the serve is underhand. Padel uses enclosed walls and is doubles only.
Key takeaways
- Paddle tennis (POP Tennis) has no walls — it's an open court sport
- Padel has glass back walls and mesh side walls that are part of play
- Both sports use underhand serves and solid rackets
- Paddle tennis can be played in singles; padel is always doubles
- Platform tennis is a related but separate winter sport played on raised courts
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Paddle tennis and padel are frequently confused because of their similar names, but they are distinct sports with different courts, rules, and equipment.
Paddle tennis (known as POP Tennis in the United States) is played on a smaller open court — no walls, no enclosure. The court is roughly 20m × 9m (compared to padel's 20m × 10m enclosed court). There are no glass or mesh walls; if the ball goes out, it's out. The game can be played in singles or doubles.
The serve in paddle tennis is underhand, similar to padel. The rackets are solid (no strings) in both sports, though paddle tennis rackets are generally longer and have different perforation patterns. The ball in paddle tennis is a depressurised tennis ball, similar to padel.
Platform tennis is another variant sometimes confused with paddle tennis: it's played on a raised, heated court with wire screens around the perimeter that are in play. This is most popular in the northeastern United States in winter months.
Padel's wall-based gameplay is what fundamentally distinguishes it from paddle tennis. The ability to play the ball off the walls dramatically changes tactics, shot selection, and the length of rallies. Padel players find paddle tennis simpler strategically (no wall reads required); paddle tennis players find padel more complex to learn because of the wall dimension.
Frequently asked questions
Is paddle tennis the same as padel?
No. Paddle tennis (POP Tennis) has no walls, can be played in singles, and is popular mainly in the USA. Padel has glass and mesh walls that are fundamental to how the game is played, and is always doubles.
Which sport is bigger — padel or paddle tennis?
Padel is significantly bigger globally with an estimated 25 million+ players across 90+ countries. Paddle tennis/POP Tennis is mainly popular in the USA and much smaller in global participation.
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