Is padel going to be the hottest sport of 2025?

I’m not going to lie. When I got this story to check out the game Padel in Bintan, the first thought that crossed my mind was, “I need a tennis skirt.” While learning about this tennis-squash hybrid, I wanted to look good doing it. I was thinking Zendaya, Challengers press tour, and lots of sunscreen.

Of course, this never materialised, partly because I decided to bring my whole family along for the ride and spent all my time packing for my two young daughters instead of redesigning my sporty wardrobe. Not that I really knew what I was designing it for, since I’d never heard of padel until this year and apparently, it’s not the same as tennis.

The popularity of padel

Call me a boomer, but I didn’t really understand why we needed a new racket sport. I had a lot of questions – do I need a special racquet? Is it like pickleball? Does F1 hottie George Russell also play padel? (The answer is, he does, in Singapore no less!). And why should I?

Well apparently enough people around the world (and in Singapore) are playing it for hotels to reconfigure their offerings to include it. Apart from The Sanchaya in Bintan, which hosted its inaugural Padel Cup earlier this year and plans to make it a yearly affair, the Dusit Thani Laguna in Singapore offers it and the Conrad Bali also recently reconfigured two tennis courts into padel courts.

According to Alex Domenech, Padel Director at Prime Padel in Singapore, this is a shrewd business decision. “You can get three padel courts in the space of one tennis court. Each game requires four players, so that’s 12 people on your courts, instead of the two or four you get in tennis.” Prime Padel currently has three courts at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront and is about to open another seven in Dempsey.

So, what exactly is padel?

Padel is like tennis’ cooler, more chill sister. It’s a pretty young sport, founded first in Mexico in 1969 before becoming a full-blown sport in Spain in the seventies. Its popularity grew all over the world, reaching Asia in 2013 in Japan. In Singapore, the first padel courts were built in 2021 on the Marina Square rooftop. Domenech predicts there will be at least 40 padel courts in Singapore by next year. 

Unlike tennis, padel (like squash) has the walls in play. Though, unlike squash, the walls are only at the back of the court and partly on the sides. The rules follow the same structure as tennis, with the main difference being in the serve. Anyone who’s ever played tennis or watched a match knows the serve is the hardest part – well that’s done away with in padel, with the serve being much like a normal forehand swing. Also, the racquet is different. Not only is it shorter and more compact, it is made of carbon fibre or fibreglass. If you’re used to tennis or squash, it might take a little while to get used to the feel and how the ball hits.

Stepping onto the padel court for the first time at The Sanchaya, I immediately took in how much smaller it was versus a tennis court. I used to play a lot of tennis as a teen but I no longer have that level of stamina, and a padel court is way more doable. While my four-year-old was given a mini padel lesson in the court next door, and my two-year-old was being plied with snacks in the shade, my husband and I gave padel a try.

Is padel suitable for begginers?

Honestly, it’s a lot of fun. It’s very easy to get a volley (getting the ball back-and-forth) going if you have some experience with a racquet sport and knowing that you can bounce the ball off the wall means it’s easier to keep it in play. Padel is usually played amongst four people so there isn’t even that much running to do – plus that “BANG” sound the racquet makes when you send the ball over the net at high speed is very rewarding (and not as hard to do as it is in tennis). And while there’s less running, I still woke up a little sore the next day from the workout.

Learning padel isn’t too hard, even my four-year-old was getting the hang of connecting racquet to ball. I can understand why both Domenech and Greg Williams, General Manager of The Sanchaya, emphasised how social padel can be – something that Domenech feels made it grow in popularity post-Covid. “Padel really exploded after the pandemic,” he notes. “It’s a very social sport and very easy to learn. You can start having fun in a very short time and continue to improve. Then once you master the game, it can become more challenging and competitive.” The game is a lot of fun, and with so many courts opening up in Singapore (and some not too far away in Bintan) it’s worth grabbing some friends, getting your tennis skirts (padel skirts?) on, and booking a court to try it out.

Where to play padel in Singapore:

1. Prime Padel

A great option for those working in the CBD, Prime Padel has courts starting at $90 for 60 minutes. Their new location opening in Dempsey in January 2025 promises seven courts.

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, 392 Havelock Road, 6th Floor, Singapore 169663

2. Bliss Pade

You can book courts at this Marina Bay location for just half an hour. If you’re going for longer, 90 minutes will cost $132. It’s also possible to rent racquets here for $10. 

MBPSPORTS @ Marina Square Rooftop, 6 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039594

3. Singpadel

OK it might be all the way out in Jurong but prices at Singpadel are a bit more reasonable. It’s $80 for 60 minutes with a 30 percent discount for offpeak (which is between 7am and 5pm).

 #01-14 JPG, 2 Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 608512

4. The Padel co. Reserve 

This boutique company which also runs a club in Bangkok, has three courts in Singapore along with a cafe and shower rooms. Courts start at $140 for 90 minutes with racquets also available for rent. 

190 Middle Road, Singapore 188979

5. Ricochet Padel 

This club takes care of the East Coast padel needs as well as Sentosa with their two clubs. Courts start at $84 for 60 minutes with a discount for offpeak. The Sentosa location also offers rain covered courts so you can play in any weather.

Laguna National Golf Resort Club, 11 Laguna Golf Green, Singapore 488047 & Amara Sanctuary Resort, 1 Larkhill Road, Singapore 099394