Padel is an enclosed-court racquet sport played in doubles. It uses tennis scoring, an underarm serve and solid racquets with holes. The walls stay in play after the ball bounces. This article was previously titled What is Paddle Tennis and incorrectly called the sport platform tennis. The sport described here is padel.
What padel is
Padel began in Mexico in 1969. Enrique Corcuera designed a smaller court with walls because he lacked space for a full tennis court. Tennis Australia explains the sport's name history. Padel Australia is the Australian governing body.
Court and equipment
The standard court size is 20 metres by 10 metres. Glass walls, steel posts and wire mesh enclose a synthetic grass surface. The court is divided by a net.
A padel racquet has a solid face with holes and no strings. The ball is slightly smaller and less pressurised than a tennis ball. Those differences suit the enclosed court and off-wall shots.
Basic padel rules
- The game is played by two pairs.
- The underarm serve must be struck below waist height into the diagonal service box.
- The ball may bounce once on your turf. It can then rebound from your wall before you return it.
- Games use tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40 and game. A set normally requires six games and a two-game lead.
- A match is normally won by taking two of three sets.
A serve that bounces in the correct box and then hits the glass is valid. If it hits the mesh fence after that first bounce, it is a fault.
Differences from tennis and pickleball
Padel shares its point system with tennis, but not its serve or court. Padel serves are underarm, the racquet has no strings, and the surrounding walls affect each rally.
Pickleball has a non-volley zone near the net. Its two-bounce rule also differs from padel. Platform tennis is another separate sport, so that name should not be used for padel.
Playing padel in Australia
Former tennis world number one Pat Rafter made the same technical adjustment. He changed from a Grand Slam serve to padel's underarm start when he headlined a 2025 Australian Padel Tour Sydney event. His example shows that even an experienced tennis player must use a different serve in padel.
KeepActive does not yet have a separate padel search category. Tennis Australia links to a national court finder. Ask the venue about introductory sessions, racquet hire and booking rules before you go.
