Racket Sports
Tennis, squash, pickleball, badminton — and padel. See exactly how padel compares to every major racket sport, side by side.
What are racket sports?
Racket sports are competitive games played with a hand-held racket (or paddle) used to strike a ball or shuttlecock. The major racket sports are padel, tennis, squash, pickleball, badminton, and racquetball. They span indoor and outdoor formats, singles and doubles, and a wide spectrum of intensity — from the explosive athleticism of squash to the highly social nature of padel and pickleball. Padel is currently the fastest-growing racket sport in the world with an estimated 25 million players across 90+ countries.
Padel vs Tennis
Padel evolved from tennis but plays very differently. The walls, enclosed court, and underarm serve create a more accessible and social experience.
| Aspect | Padel | Tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 20m × 10m (enclosed) | 23.7m × 8.2m (singles) / open court |
| Walls | Glass back + side walls in play | No walls |
| Scoring | Tennis scoring + golden point at 40-40 | Deuce / advantage at 40-40 |
| Serve | Underarm, below waist height | Overhead or underarm |
| Racket | Solid perforated face, no strings | Strung racket |
| Players | Almost exclusively doubles (4) | Singles or doubles |
| Learning curve | Easy to start, social from day one | Longer to become consistent |
Tennis players pick up padel very quickly — the scoring is identical and the footwork is transferable. The walls add a strategic layer that makes padel less about raw power and more about positioning and angles.
Padel vs Squash
Both use walls as part of play, but padel is an outdoor doubles game on an open court while squash is an indoor singles duel in a fully enclosed box.
| Aspect | Padel | Squash |
|---|---|---|
| Court | Open-top enclosed court (glass + mesh) | Fully enclosed 4-wall box |
| Players | Doubles (4 players) | Singles (2 players) or doubles |
| Ball | Pressurised felt ball (like tennis) | Hollow rubber ball |
| Racket | Solid, short-handled paddle | Strung, long-handled racket |
| Serve | Underarm into opposite service box | Off the front wall into opposite box |
| Walls | Back + side walls after first bounce | All 4 walls before the ball bounces |
| Intensity | Moderate — social pacing typical | Intense — high cardiovascular demand |
Squash players often find padel less intense but love the wall strategy. The key difference: squash is a solo battle in a box; padel is a doubles social sport on an open court.
Padel vs Pickleball
Both are growing fast and appeal to adult recreational players, but they're played very differently. Pickleball is on a hard court with no walls; padel uses glass walls and a felt ball.
| Aspect | Padel | Pickleball |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 20m × 10m | 13.4m × 6.1m |
| Court surface | Artificial turf or synthetic | Hard court (asphalt/concrete) |
| Walls | Glass walls in play | No walls |
| Ball | Low-pressure felt ball | Plastic wiffle-style ball |
| Racket | Solid perforated paddle | Solid paddle (smaller) |
| Scoring | Tennis scoring + golden point | Rally scoring to 11/15/21 |
| Serve | Underarm, below waist height | Underarm, below waist height |
| Popularity hub | Spain, Europe, Latin America | USA, rapidly growing globally |
Pickleball is bigger in the USA; padel is bigger everywhere else. Both are social, doubles-friendly, and designed to be accessible. Padel's walls add a strategic dimension that pickleball lacks; pickleball's hard-court setup means lower infrastructure cost.
Padel vs Badminton
Padel and badminton share very little beyond the racket. Badminton uses a shuttlecock and is played indoors at very high speed; padel uses a ball and is designed for year-round outdoor play.
| Aspect | Padel | Badminton |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Solid paddle + pressurised ball | Strung racket + shuttlecock (feather or plastic) |
| Court | Enclosed outdoor/indoor court with walls | Open indoor court, no walls |
| Net height | 88cm at centre | 155cm at centre |
| Scoring | Tennis-style points and sets | Rally scoring to 21 points, best of 3 |
| Players | Doubles (4) or singles (rare) | Singles or doubles |
| Speed | Moderate; walls slow the game down | Very fast; shuttlecock speed can exceed 300km/h |
| Outdoor play | Designed for outdoor + indoor | Primarily indoor (wind affects shuttle) |
The sports share little beyond the racket format. Badminton is a precision indoor game; padel is a social outdoor-indoor sport using walls as a tactical element. Badminton players transitioning to padel typically find the slower pace an adjustment.
Why padel is the fastest-growing racket sport
Want to learn more? Read the full history of padel →
Racket Sports FAQs
What is the easiest racket sport to learn?
Padel and pickleball are generally considered the easiest racket sports for adults to start playing. Both use underarm serves, relatively small courts, and are designed for doubles — meaning beginners can get into fun rallies very quickly. Tennis and squash have steeper learning curves before the game becomes enjoyable.
Is padel the fastest-growing racket sport?
Yes. Padel is widely recognised as the world's fastest-growing racket sport. The global player base has more than doubled in five years to an estimated 25 million players across 90 countries. Growth is particularly strong in Europe (especially France, Sweden, and UK), the Middle East (especially UAE and Saudi Arabia), and the United States.
How is padel different from tennis?
Padel is played on a smaller enclosed court (20m × 10m) with glass back and side walls that are in play. The serve is underarm below waist height, the racket is a solid paddle with no strings, and the game is almost always doubles. Scoring mirrors tennis but replaces deuce/advantage with a single golden point at 40-40.
How is padel different from pickleball?
Padel is played on a larger court with glass walls in play, uses a felt tennis-like ball, and employs tennis-style scoring. Pickleball uses a smaller hard court with no walls, a plastic wiffle ball, and rally scoring to 11 or 15. Both sports use underarm serves and are very social. Padel dominates in Europe and Latin America; pickleball leads in the USA.
Can tennis players play padel?
Absolutely — tennis players typically pick up padel faster than any other group. The scoring is identical, the footwork is transferable, and the doubles format is familiar. The main adjustments are the underarm serve, the solid paddle feel, and learning to use the glass walls tactically rather than treating them as obstacles.