Padel is a young sport, having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. However, it is a sport that has spread throughout the world, crossing borders in an impressive way, to the point of being the most popular sport in some regions. Nowadays, padel is considered the trendy sport, but few people know its beginnings. For this reason, we present to you the five most curious facts about the origin of padel.

Padel originated in Mexico

The birth of padel dates back to the 1960s, specifically to 1969. Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican businessman who loved tennis, is considered the creator of padel. According to Mr. Corcuera, it happened by accident, as he installed a 20 x 10 meter court in his home in Acapulco, Mexico, and placed side walls on it, just to prevent balls from going into the neighbor's property. In this way, he realized that the ball bouncing off the walls made the game more fluid and fun. At the time, Enrique had no idea that this improvised idea would become one of the most popular sports in the world.

The first padel rackets were made of wood

This is one of the most interesting curiosities about the origin of padel. In the early years, padel rackets were all made of wood. This means that at the time, rackets were heavy and rigid, but players didn't know any better. Over the years and with technological advancements, as well as player demands, brands began to use more flexible materials to manufacture padel rackets. Gradually, materials such as Eva rubber for the core and carbon and glass fibers for the exterior began to be used.

The word "padel" comes from the English "paddle"

The term "padel" comes from the English word "paddle", which literally means "oar" or "racket", hence the name given to a padel racket. As a result, in the United States, there is a sport called "paddle tennis", but it is played on a smaller court, with a lower and smaller net and using a paddle instead of a racket. However, with the creation of this new sport and because it is very similar to the American sport, the term became Spanish.

Spain became the padel capital of the world

Although padel was born in Mexico, Spain is currently the country that plays the most padel. After his idea, Enrique Corcuera was also responsible for introducing padel to Spain in the early 1970s, as he began to invite his Spanish friends, who introduced the sport to their country. Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who was a friend of Corcuera's, was one of the key figures in the growth of padel in Spain; thanks to him, the first two padel courts were built in Spain. Nowadays, Spain is considered the capital of padel, where this sport is the most popular after football. It is the country with the most federated players, the most padel courts and clubs. It is the place where most fans come to watch professional padel.

Padel has spread throughout the world

After the rise of padel in Spain, this sport began to spread to other parts of the world. Another country that plays the most padel is Argentina, which is actually considered the country that plays the most padel after Spain. The best players in the World Padel Tour are Argentine or Spanish. The arrival of padel in Argentina was one of the triggers for its spread on the American continent. Currently, the countries that play the most padel in this region of the world (with the exception of Argentina) are Mexico, Brazil and Chile. However, there is no denying that Europe is the continent where padel is most popular, especially due to its proximity to Spain. In Europe, the countries where padel is most widespread are Italy, France, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands. The countries we have mentioned are those with the most padel fans, but that does not mean they are the only ones. Currently, it is known that there are 45 padel federations worldwide, meaning it is officially played in 45 countries. In addition, padel is present on all five continents of the world.