Padel and tennis are both racket sports, but they have several key differences:
- Court Size and Surface: Padel courts are smaller than tennis courts, typically about a third of the size. Padel courts are also enclosed by walls, usually made of glass or mesh. Tennis courts are open and larger, with a variety of surfaces including grass, clay, and hard courts.
- Equipment: In padel, players use solid paddles made of composite materials rather than strung rackets used in tennis. Padel balls are also different, being less pressurized and with a lower bounce compared to tennis balls.
- Scoring: Both sports use similar scoring systems, but there are slight differences. In padel, matches are typically best-of-three sets, with each set played to six games. However, the scoring within each game is the same as tennis.
- Serving: In padel, the serve must be underhand, and players are only allowed one attempt to serve the ball. In tennis, players can serve overhand and have two attempts to get the serve in play.
- Doubles Dominance: While both sports can be played in singles and doubles formats, padel is more commonly played in doubles. The smaller court size and enclosed space make doubles play more dynamic and exciting in padel.
- Movement and Strategy: Padel involves more close-range play due to the smaller court size and the presence of walls. This leads to different movement patterns and strategic considerations compared to tennis, which typically involves more baseline rallies.
- Popularity and Global Reach: Tennis is a more established and globally popular sport compared to padel, which has a more limited presence, particularly outside of Europe and Latin America. However, padel has been growing rapidly in popularity in recent years, with efforts to expand its reach internationally.
Overall, while padel and tennis share some similarities as racket sports, they have distinct differences in terms of court size, equipment, rules, and gameplay dynamics.
