Padel or Paddle? Meaning, Pronunciation and Who Invented Padel
The short answer. The sport is spelled padel. The word comes from the English “paddle”, as in paddle tennis, and most English speakers say it the same way, though “pa-DEL” is also heard. Padel is a different sport from paddle tennis, platform tennis and pickleball. It was invented by Enrique Corcuera in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969.
Padel at a glance
| Correct spelling | Padel in English, pádel in Spanish |
| Pronunciation | Like “paddle” in English; PA-del in Spanish |
| Where the word comes from | English “paddle tennis” |
| Invented | 1969, Acapulco, Mexico |
| Inventor | Enrique Corcuera |
| Arrived in Spain | 1974, Marbella |
| World governing body | International Padel Federation (FIP), founded 1991 |
Padel or paddle: which is correct?
Padel. That is the spelling used by the International Padel Federation in its rulebook, by national bodies such as LTA Padel in Britain, and by the professional tour, Premier Padel.
“Paddle” is not wrong as a word. It is simply a different one. In English a paddle is a bat with a solid face, and in the United States “paddle” on its own usually means paddle tennis or platform tennis, which are separate games. Writing “paddle” when you mean padel will send American readers to the wrong sport.
In Spanish the word carries an accent: pádel.
How do you pronounce padel?
There are two accepted ways in English, and you will hear both at any club.
- In Spanish it is PA-del, with the stress on the first syllable and a soft “d”. The accent on the “a” is there to mark that stress.
- In English the Cambridge Dictionary gives one pronunciation for both British and American English, and it is the same as “paddle”.
- Some English speakers say pa-DEL, with the stress on the second syllable.
Neither English version is a mistake. If you want to sound closest to the original, say PA-del. If you say “paddle”, nobody at a British club will blink.
What does “padel” mean?
It is the English word “paddle” in Spanish spelling. The Spanish Royal Academy's dictionary gives the origin of pádel as the English “paddle tennis”, and defines it as a game between two pairs, much like tennis, played between four walls with a short-handled bat.
The name came with the game. Paddle tennis already existed in the United States when padel was invented, and the new Mexican game, played with a solid bat on a small court, borrowed its name. Spanish speakers wrote it the way they said it, and “paddle” became “pádel”. When the sport later spread to English-speaking countries it kept the Spanish spelling, without the accent.
So “padel” is a Spanish word that began as an English one.
Padel vs paddle tennis vs platform tennis vs pickleball
These four are often confused, mostly in the United States. They share a solid bat and a small court, and little else.
| Padel | Paddle tennis (POP Tennis) | Platform tennis | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court | 20 × 10 m (65 ft 7 in × 32 ft 10 in) | 50 × 20 ft | 44 × 20 ft, on a raised deck | 44 × 20 ft |
| Walls | Glass and mesh, in play | None | 12 ft wire screens, in play | None |
| Ball | Pressurised, like a tennis ball | Tennis ball with less pressure | Solid rubber | Plastic, with holes |
| Serve | Underarm, two attempts | Underhand | Overhand allowed, one attempt | Underhand |
| Where | Worldwide | United States | US Northeast, in winter | Mostly North America |
- Paddle tennis is a scaled-down tennis game with no walls. It is now marketed as POP Tennis.
- Platform tennis is what clubs in the American Northeast usually mean by “paddle”: a winter game on a heated deck surrounded by wire screens.
- Pickleball is a different sport again, played with a plastic ball. Americans also call its bat a paddle, which adds to the confusion.
We compare the last of these in detail in padel vs pickleball. If you want to learn padel itself, start with how to play padel.
Who invented padel? A short history
Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican tennis enthusiast, in 1969.
Acapulco, 1969. Corcuera wanted a tennis court at his house in Las Brisas, Acapulco, and did not have the space. He built a smaller court, 20 metres by 10, enclosed by walls three metres high, with a net across the middle. Those are still the dimensions of a padel court. According to the FIP, the first rules were written by his wife, Viviana. Some accounts say he had been trying the idea out on a pelota court at a family estate for years before that, but 1969 is the date the sport itself uses. More in our history of padel in Mexico.
Marbella, 1974. Alfonso de Hohenlohe, a Spanish aristocrat and hotelier, played on Corcuera's court as his guest. Back in Spain he built two courts at his Marbella Club hotel. From there the game spread along the Costa del Sol. See the history of padel in Spain.
Argentina, mid-1970s. Julio Menditeguy, an Argentine member of Hohenlohe's circle in Marbella, took the game home. The first courts went up at Club Tortugas and the Mar del Plata Ocean Club, and Argentina became the sport's first mass market. In 1988 it founded the first national padel association. See the history of padel in Argentina.
A federation and a World Championship. The International Padel Federation was founded in Madrid on 12 July 1991 by the Argentine, Spanish and Uruguayan federations. The first World Championship followed in 1992, in Madrid and Seville. Our Padel World Cup history lists every final since.
The professional tours. The Padel Pro Tour ran from 2005 to 2012. The World Padel Tour replaced it in 2013 and ran until 2023. Premier Padel, backed by the FIP, started in 2022 and has been the only world tour since 2024. The Premier Padel calendar shows where it goes now.
Today. The FIP counts more than 35 million players and about 77,300 courts in 150 countries. We look at the reasons in why padel is growing so fast and at the numbers in padel courts worldwide.
Why is padel called “padel tennis” in the UK?
Because it looks like tennis, uses tennis scoring and, in Britain, is run by the tennis federation. The Cambridge Dictionary lists “padel tennis” as an alternative name. It is informal: the sport's own name is padel, and it has its own rules and its own world federation. We cover the differences in padel vs tennis.
Quick answers
Is it pronounced padel or paddle?
In English, most people say it like “paddle”, and that is the pronunciation the Cambridge Dictionary gives. In Spanish it is PA-del, with the stress on the first syllable.
Is it spelled padel or paddle?
Padel. That is the spelling used by the International Padel Federation and by national governing bodies. “Paddle” refers to other sports.
What is padel called in the US?
Padel. The name is the same everywhere. It is often mixed up with paddle tennis and platform tennis, which Americans call “paddle” and which are different games.
Is padel the same as pickleball?
No. Padel is played on an enclosed 20 × 10 m court with walls in play and a pressurised ball. Pickleball is played on a smaller open court with a plastic ball.
Is padel a Spanish word?
Yes, in its current spelling. It is the Spanish form of the English “paddle”, from paddle tennis. English then took it back with the Spanish spelling.
When was padel invented?
In 1969, when Enrique Corcuera built the first court at his home in Acapulco.
Where did padel originate?
In Mexico. It reached Spain in 1974 and Argentina shortly afterwards, and those two countries turned it into a mass sport.
Sources
- International Padel Federation: history of padel. Corcuera and Acapulco, Hohenlohe, Menditeguy, the first Argentine courts, the 1988 association and the 1991 federation.
- Real Academia Española: pádel. Etymology and definition.
- Cambridge Dictionary: padel. English pronunciation and the alternative name “padel tennis”.
- FIP Rules of Padel, 2026 edition. The official spelling and the court.
- FIP World Padel Report 2025. Players, courts and countries.
- Wikipedia: Padel Pro Tour, World Padel Tour, Premier Padel and International Padel Federation. Tour and federation dates.
- StudyPadel: padel vs pickleball for the four-sport comparison, and the country histories linked above.