Why these racket sports are taking over from tennis.
Novak Djokovic may have just won his 24th major title at the US Open but someone ought to tell him that when it comes to racket sports, tennis has some competition. In its place? A slew of sports that take their lead from the traditions of tennis, but don’t have the same formality and demand for practically professional form.
“Padel and pickleball are the fastest two growing sports on the planet,” says Robert Rizea CEO & Co-founder of. Although undoubtedly fuelled by the pandemic’s increased demand for outdoor activities, the rapid rise of sports like padel is likely down to their democratic ethos — unlike tennis, it’s easier to pick up a racket and play without worrying about form, function and hours of logged lessons.
If you’ve never quite got to grips with tennis or simply found it a challenge too far, it might be time to dust off your whites and try something new. Here are the new racket sports challenging tennis for top seed.Originating in Mexico in the 1960s, padel is officially the fastest growing sport in the world with fans including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, as well as David Beckham and Neymar Jr. It’s not just celebrities with a penchant for padel.
Combining disciplines from both tennis and squash, the game is played in doubles and on a court that’s roughly 30 percent smaller than a tennis court. The appeal of padel is not just the inherently competitive nature of the game, but the fact that you can play it regardless of technical ability or form., just outside London, was among the first in the hospitality industry to offer it five years ago in response to high customer demand.
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