Padel is a sport with a short but intense history. Since its creation, it has not stopped growing at an extraordinary rate — today it is one of the most practiced sports in Spain and across Europe, and its global expansion shows no signs of slowing down.
The Original Padel Creator: Enrique Corcuera (1969)
The story of padel begins in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico, at the private residence of Enrique Corcuera — the man widely recognised as the original padel creator. Corcuera had a wall ball game on his property and decided, almost on a whim, to install a central net and enclose the space with a low wall.
What started as a practical solution quickly became something more. The low wall was not quite enough — the ball frequently escaped into the neighbouring property, interrupting play. So Corcuera raised the walls, turning the court into a fully enclosed space where the ball could bounce off the surfaces and stay in play. The game was faster, more continuous, and far more fun.
From Mexico to Marbella: How Padel reached Europe
In 1974, Spanish Prince Alfonso zu Hohenlohe visited Corcuera and immediately fell in love with the game. That same year, Alfonso introduced padel to Spain by building two courts at his iconic Marbella Club hotel — a move that would change the sport’s trajectory forever.
Alfonso didn’t just transplant the game: he refined the rules, formalised the dimensions of the playing field, and organised the first official “Pro-Am” tournaments, sponsored by the brand Smith & Smith. These tournaments had a clever twist — each pair had to include one professional player and one celebrity — which generated enormous media attention and helped padel spread rapidly through Spain and South America.
Personalities such as Enrique Iglesias, the Duke of Borbón, and Manuel Santana were among the early fans, giving the sport a glamorous, aspirational image that fuelled its popularity.
What Is Padel? A Quick Definition
For those new to the sport: padel is a fast, social racket sport that blends elements of tennis and squash. It is played on an enclosed court measuring 20 x 10 metres, surrounded by glass walls and a net at the centre. Easy to learn, highly addictive, and suitable for all ages and fitness levels — which explains why it is currently one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
From One Court in Acapulco to Millions of Players Worldwide
What the original padel creator set in motion in 1969 has grown into a global phenomenon. Padel has developed most strongly in Spain, Argentina, and Brazil, but is now expanding rapidly across the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, and beyond — with thousands of new courts being built every year.
At Padelcreations, we are part of that story. As specialist padel court designers and builders delivering projects across Europe and worldwide, we help clubs, hotels, resorts, and investors turn the vision of the padel creator into reality — one court at a time.
👉 Explore our padel court solutions or get a quote for your project.
