Key milestones in the history of Padel
1960s
In 1969, Padel was invented at Las Brisas, in a house owned by Mr. Enrique Corcuera in Puerto de Acapulco, Mexico. Enrique, a tennis enthusiast, did not have enough space to build a regular tennis court in his backyard. So he made a smaller version: a 20x10-meter court that he surrounded with a 3-meter wall and a tennis net in between. This was the first padel court in history. The first padel regulation was drafted by Enrique's wife, Viviana, a former Miss Argentina, who gave it to her husband as a birthday present.
1970s
Padel was introduced in the early 1970s in Spain by Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe, who spent his summer vacations at Corcuera's home in Acapulco and decided to build padel courts at his Marbella Club Hotel in Andalusia. Also during those years Julio Menditeguy, an Argentine member of Alfonso's tennis club in Marbella, decided to import the sport to Argentina. The first courts in Argentina were built at Club Tortugas, Mar de la Plata Ocean Club, and other Argentinian cities.
1980s
Padel started its expansion into other countries. Courts were built in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, France, the United States and Canada. In 1988, the world's first national association, the “Asociación Padel Argentino,” was created. The first international competition was held between Spain and Argentina in January 1988 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in the province of Buenos Aires. In 1989, in Argentina, a design by Jorge Galeotti, a coach from Mar del Plata, would be a game changer for padel and its international expansion...Crystal Palace, the first detachable and transportable glass court.
1990s
On July 12, 1991, the International Padel Federation (FIP) was founded in Madrid by the legal representatives of the Argentine Padel Association, the Spanish Padel Association, and the Uruguayan Padel Association. FIP decided to hold the World Padel Championships every two years. In 1992, the first FIP World Padel Championships were held in Madrid and Seville, Spain. During these years the sport had different rules depending on the country where it was played, and finally in 1997, in Barcelona, Spain and Argentina an agreement was reached, the rules were unified and the game was officially called Padel (in Argentina until then it was called Paddle). This decade saw the establishment of 11 national padel federations, including five in Europe and six in the Americas.
2000s
In 2000, the first World Junior Championship was held in La Plata, Argentina, initially on an annual basis, since 2003, biannually. During these years, seven more federations were created (6 European and the Australian federation). In 2005, the world's first international professional padel circuit The Padel Pro Tour (PPT) organized by private groups was born and lasted for 8 seasons.
2010s
During these years, several national federations were born around the world, and by the end of the decade, there were more than 40 federations affiliated with FIP. In 2013, the PPT was replaced by another private professional world circuit, the World Padel Tour (2013-2023). In 2018, the first Senior World Championship was held in Estepona/Benahavãs, Malaga (Spain). One year later, in 2019, the first FIP circuit (later renamed the Cupra FIP Tour from 2020) was established to ensure that Padel would continue its worldwide growth.
2020s
In 2021, FIP launched its Promises circuit, reserved for under-14, 16 and 18 categories for both men and women. In 2023, the goal of 70 federations affiliated with FIP and more than 160 international tournaments played worldwide was achieved. As of 2024, the Premier Padel circuit (established in 2022 as the official global padel tour), governed by the FIP and supported by the Professional Padel Association (PPA), the International Padel Players Association (IPPA), and Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), has become the world's top international professional circuit with 24 tournaments in 16 different countries. As of 2025, there are 87 federations affiliated with FIP; the sport is played in more than 140 countries worldwide, and approximately 30 million amateur players participate.
