Padel
Padel vs pickleball vs tennis: What's the difference and which is better?
Racket sports are popular all around the world, but what are their key differences? Here's our guide to understand what separates tennis, padel and pickleball
In recent years, padel, pickleball and tennis have surged in popularity, each attracting enthusiasts for different reasons. Here’s a breakdown of their differences and what makes each sport appealing.
01
What's pickleball?
Pickleball has seen exponential growth in popularity, primarily in the United States. The sport originated there in the mid-1960s and has spread rapidly across the country. Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Players use a solid paddle that's usually made of wood or composite materials and a perforated plastic ball, akin to a wiffle ball. The game can be played as singles or doubles and the objective is simple: score points by hitting the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court, while following a few basic rules.
Pickleball is easy to learn and perfect for beginners thanks to straightforward rules. It's social and fosters community interaction, with closer courts for chatting and making friends. It's a great workout without the physical intensity of tennis, making it ideal for older adults and those seeking low-impact exercise.
02
What's padel?
Padel straddles the line between tennis and squash
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Padel was invented as recently as 1969, by Mexican Enrique Corcuera, as a hybrid of tennis and squash. The game was designed to be played in enclosed spaces with walls and using solid paddles with small holes on the surface instead of strung rackets. It quickly gained popularity in Spain and later spread across Europe and the Americas, becoming a favored sport for its social aspect and accessibility.
03
What's tennis?
Tennis has royal roots: It started in the 12th century as a handball game called 'jeu de paume' in France and was first played by aristocrats before it evolved into the racquet sport with mass appeal that we know today. In tennis, two (one versus one, called singles) or four players (two versus two, called doubles) hit a small yellow ball over a net into the other player's side of the court using racquets.
Tennis is one of the world's most popular sports
© Oriol Castello/Red Bull Content Pool
The aim is to hit the ball in a way that the other player can't return it, thereby scoring points. The game is played on different surfaces, like grass, clay or hard courts, and the first player to win a set number of games and sets wins the match.
04
How to play: padel vs pickleball vs tennis
Court dimensions
Padel courts are compact and enclosed
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Tennis is played on a rectangular court, typically 23.5m long and 8m wide for singles, with a net that stands 0.9m high at the center. Players use strung racquets to hit a felt-covered rubber ball over the net. Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court (13.5m x 6m) with a net similar to tennis, but slightly lower.
Tennis courts are the biggest of the three sports
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Padel on the other hand is played on a smaller, enclosed court (20m x 10m), with walls that players can use to bounce the ball. Padel racquets are solid and perforated, while the ball is similar to a tennis ball but slightly less pressurised.
05
Equipment
In tennis, players use strung racquets to hit a felt-covered rubber ball over the net. The standard padel paddle is solid and perforated, while the ball is similar to a tennis ball but less pressurised. In pickleball, players also use solid paddles, but hit a perforated plastic ball instead.
06
Rules
While tennis, pickleball and padel share some basic elements, they vary significantly in court dimensions, scoring systems, service rules, ball types and net heights.
All three sports involve using a racket to hit a ball over a net and they all use a point system to determine winners of games and sets. However, they differ in how points are counted, whether they use advantage after deuce and how sets are won. Tennis and padel use a more traditional scoring method, with advantage, while pickleball simplifies the scoring and eliminates the advantage concept.
Tennis has the most complex and involved rules
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The scoring in tennis progresses as follows: 0 (love), 15, 30, 40 and then the game. If both players or teams are tied at 40-40 (deuce), one must win two consecutive points to win the game. Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis, but there's no advantage played. Instead, the next point wins the game after deuce. Pickleball has its own unique scoring system where points can only be scored by the serving team.
07
How is padel different from pickleball and tennis?
Padel courts are smaller than tennis courts and they are enclosed by glass walls and wire mesh. Pickleball courts are even smaller than padel courts, with a lower net and boundary lines similar to badminton. Padel is played with solid paddles, like pickleball, but with a depressurised tennis ball that has lower bounce. Pickleball uses a plastic ball with holes.
Padel is the most unique sports, allowing plays to be made off the walls
© Premier Padel/Red Bull Content Pool
The main difference between the sports is that padel allows the ball to be played off the walls, introducing an element of strategy involving angles and bounces. Tennis involves more running and uses a larger court, with more emphasis on powerful serves and ground strokes.
08
What are the similarities between padel, pickleball and tennis?
All three are racquet sports played with a ball, requiring players to hit the ball over a net using the racquet. All three sports are played on a court divided by a net, although the dimensions of the court and the height of the net vary. Tennis has the largest court, followed by padel and then pickleball. All three also use a scoring system based on points , with the aim of winning games, sets and matches.
09
Does athleticism matter in tennis, padel or pickleball?
Ale Galán puts in the work in the gym to excel on the padel court
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Engaging in any of these sports provides cardiovascular exercise, improves agility and enhances hand-eye coordination. All three require a combination of speed, agility, coordination, endurance and strategic thinking to excel.
In tennis, upper body strength is really crucial for powerful serves and ground strokes, while lower body strength aids in quick movements and stability on the larger court. Pickleball, on the other hand, demands quick lateral movement and agility to cover the smaller court efficiently.
Whichever your racquet sport, get out there and enjoy it
© Jan Kasl/Red Bull Content Pool
10
Padel vs pickleball vs tennis: which is better?
That’s a question everybody has to answer for themselves. Each sport has its own charms and benefits. Tennis offers tradition, athleticism and the thrill of the individual challenge. Pickleball brings accessibility, speed and a sense of community that's hard to beat. Padel offers innovation, teamwork and a relaxed playing style that appeals to many.
Ultimately, whether you gravitate towards the elegance of tennis, the dynamism of pickleball or the inclusivity of padel, the joy lies in picking up a racket and giving it a swing.