ferrantraite
- Padel is gaining traction in the US but faces accessibility and cost barriers.
- The sport, popular in Spain and Argentina, requires specialized courts, unlike pickleball.
- Growth in the US hinges on youth programs and increased visibility through the Pro Padel League.
I first stepped onto a padel court in 2022. I was visiting my brother in Philadelphia and he drove us just outside city limits to a multi-purpose fitness center called PADELphia.
As a tennis purist who first picked up a racket in 1995 and was generally underwhelmed by other racket sports — including America's latest obsession (pickleball) — I had low expectations for this game that had been described to me as a cross between tennis and squash. But it was my little brother's one request. And it turned out he knew something I didn't: padel is electric.