Padel

Padel is played two against two on a small rectangular court that is closed in on all sides. A net divides the court in half, as in tennis, but the ends and parts of the sides are solid walls, with wire mesh making up the rest of the enclosure. Rackets have no strings: they are solid, perforated paddles, and the ball is similar to a tennis ball.

A point starts with a serve: the server bounces the ball and strikes it at or below waist height, sending it diagonally into the opponents' service box. From then on the ball has to cross the net and land on the other side before it touches anything else. Once it has bounced on your side you may let it come off your walls and still play it, which gives rallies their character: much of the game is about reading the rebound rather than hitting winners.

Because the walls return so many shots, padel tends to reward placement, patience and teamwork over raw power. Pairs often build points with lobs and soft balls to the feet, waiting for a chance to finish at the net. Scoring borrows from tennis, with games and sets, although events may choose a deciding point at deuce to keep matches moving.

The game took shape in Mexico and grew first in Spain and Argentina, which remain its heartlands. It has since spread across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, and an international professional tour now runs under the International Padel Federation.