Everything you need to know about the padel on the Costa del Sol

Padel has become one of the symbols of modern Spain – a sport that combines recreation, competition, and, above all, an active lifestyle. It is most popular in the south of the country, and Marbella is emerging as its European capital, offering hundreds of courts, premium clubs, and a rapidly developing sports and tourism infrastructure.

What will you read about in this note?

What is padel?
The history of padel in Spain and beyond
Rules of padel
Padel on the Costa del Sol
Where to play padel on the Costa del Sol?
Padel is a sport that is changing Spain

What is padel?

Padel, once a niche form of recreation in tennis clubs, is now one of the most dynamic socio-economic phenomena in Spain. In 2025, there were an estimated 5.5 million active players, which means that one in eight Spaniards regularly plays padel. With over 17,000 courts in 4,500 clubs, Spain is not only a world leader in terms of infrastructure, but also a center of innovation and professionalization around this discipline.

It is estimated that the entire padel ecosystem generates annual revenues of €2 billion in Spain! The sport is second only to soccer in popularity. The 5% annual growth in infrastructure, coupled with an 8% increase in the number of licensed players in 2024, confirms that padel has become a permanent part of the culture and lifestyle, but also an important component of the economy.

What is more, there are more padel courts than tennis courts in Spain, symbolizing a profound transformation of the local sports landscape. In 2025, Spain had 325 courts per million inhabitants, while in the United States this figure was only 0.5. In 2025, Spain had 325 tennis courts per million inhabitants, while in the United States there were only 0.5 per million inhabitants.

It is a relatively young sport, only played on a large scale since the 1980s. During the pandemic, padel experienced a real boom in Spain, as it was one of the few team sports that could be played without a mask.

It is a discipline that combines elements of tennis and squash. The advantage of padel is that physical condition is not as important. It is always played in pairs, which makes it easy to “cover” the entire court. The sport is not as technical as tennis or as demanding as squash. Knowing the basics of the game and accurately predicting the trajectory of the ball after it bounces off the walls, the player does not need to run much.

The history of padel in Spain and beyond

Padel was born in Mexico in the 1960s. Its creator was Enrique Corcuera, a wealthy entrepreneur who wanted to create a game that combined elements of competition and fun – a sport that his loved ones and friends could enjoy together. Inspired by tennis and squash, Corcuera adapted the rules of both disciplines to create a new form of indoor court game in which bouncing off the walls became an integral part of the game. The name “padel” comes from the English word “paddle,” which refers to the racket used in this sport.

Initially, the game was an elite pastime, played on private courts in residences, but by the 1970s it had begun to spread beyond Mexico. It was Spain that first recognized its potential and gave padel its current form. Spanish sports enthusiasts modified the rules, reducing the size of the court and limiting the number of players to two pairs, which made the game more dynamic and accessible. In this form, padel gained immense popularity, becoming one of the most widely played sports in the country and gradually spreading to France, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, and other European countries.

In 1991, the Federación Internacional de Padel (FIP) was established, an organization aimed at developing and promoting the sport internationally. Thanks to this, padel has transformed from a local curiosity into a global sporting phenomenon, now present in over 90 countries. The sport has gained status both as a recreational activity, accessible to people of all ages and skill levels, and as a professional competition, with tournaments offering large cash prizes and extensive media coverage.

The secret to padel’s success lies in its simplicity, spectacular nature, and versatility—it does not require a lot of space, can be played in almost any conditions, and the rules allow for quick learning of the basics.

Wszystko, co musicie wiedziec o padlu na Costa del Sol

Rules of padel

Matches are played on special courts measuring 20×10 m. Their characteristic feature is that they have four walls. Most often, the rear walls are made of tempered glass and the side walls are made of fence mesh. Players use special rackets and balls identical to those used in tennis, but with less pressure inside. The game consists of hitting the ball with a racket in such a way as to make it as difficult as possible for the opponent to return it. During a rally, the ball can only bounce once on one side of the court. The ball can be hit in three ways: with a volley, i.e., without the ball touching the court, after one bounce of the ball on the court, or after the ball bounces off the court and then off the wall. In padel, a player has the opportunity to correct an unsuccessful serve – i.e., we have a so-called second serve.

The scoring is the same as in tennis. Each point won is counted as follows: 15, 30, 40, and game. If the score is 40-40 (deuce), a tiebreaker is used – the receivers choose the side to which the server will serve, and the pair that wins the point wins the game. It is also possible, by prior agreement, to play traditionally “to advantage” until one of the teams wins two points in a row. A padel match is usually played to two winning sets.

A popular form of padel is the so-called mixing. It is played on multiple courts, and pairs are selected at random. One set is played, and when it is won, everyone stops their match. The winning pair moves to a higher level court, and the losing pair moves to a lower level court – new pairs are formed to play the next set. In this way, everyone plays with everyone else, and the winners are the players who finish on the highest level court.

One of the biggest advantages of padel is that it is easy to learn for people of all ages, the ball does not fly out of bounds, and the short racket is easy to maneuver. This results in a lot of fun. Like any racket sport, its interval nature strengthens the heart, reduces stress, and provides endorphins.

Padel on the Costa del Sol

One of the initiators of padel in Spain was the promoter of Marbella, Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe, who built the first court at the Marbella Club hotel and thus introduced the sport to the Costa del Sol in the late 1970s. The Marbella Club is a luxury resort located in the heart of Marbella, regularly visited by celebrities. The owner of the resort, Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe, was a great supporter of padel and helped to popularize the sport in the area. Marbella Club still has several courts for this sport and is considered one of the main destinations for padel enthusiasts in Spain.

The great popularity of padel in Spain has led many investors in new properties on the Costa del Sol to include space for courts in their residential complex development plans. However, if you have decided to buy a property in Marbella or spend your vacation here in a place without a dedicated padel court, we recommend several sports centers where you can successfully spend your free time with a racket in your hand.

In 2024 and 2025, Malaga was heavily promoted as one of the main padel centers in Spain and Europe. One of the most important events was the Andalucía Málaga Premier Padel P1, a world-class tournament that attracts top male and female pairs from around the world. The 2025 edition was held at the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena and once again confirmed Malaga’s status as the padel capital of the Costa del Sol. In addition to the competition, Malaga was visited by the business and professional padel community – in 2024, the first edition of the Padel World Summit was held, bringing together representatives from over 60 countries, which shows that the city is becoming an important point on the map of the global padel community.

As planned, in 2026 Malaga will host the FISU World University Championship Padel 2026 – the first ever university world championship in padel. The event was awarded by the International University Sport Federation (FISU) and is being organized by the University of Malaga. The tournament is scheduled for July 7-11, 2026. The competition will take place at the university’s sports facilities (Teatinos campus and “Vallsport Consul” facility), with the participation of approximately 200 players from over 20 countries, making it an international and prestigious event.

Where to play padel on the Costa del Sol?

Padel is a sport that is changing Spain

In 2025, the paddle tennis industry in Europe became one of the most dynamically developing market segments, generating over 10,000 jobs, a significant part of which are located in Spain—the global center of this discipline. The employment structure reflects the professionalization of the entire ecosystem: from coaches and instructors (approximately 1,400 licenses have already been registered) and over 550 referees, to club and sports event managers, sales, marketing, and digital communication specialists.

Spain is now a leader in the production of equipment and infrastructure – national brands such as Padel Galis, MejorSet and Royal Padel export their courts, rackets and equipment to Europe, South America and the Middle East, strengthening the global image of Spanish quality and innovation in sport.

Spain dominates padel on the international stage, with the men’s team having won nine world titles and the women’s team six. The country is also home to the World Padel Tour, and most of the major tournaments are played on the Iberian Peninsula. Competitions such as the Premier Padel Madrid P1 and the Barcelona Master Final have become global events.

Padel has become one of the new pillars of Spanish tourism, uniquely combining sport and lifestyle. The Spanish coast, led by the Costa del Sol, attracts thousands of players from all over the world who come here not only to train, but also to relax in the sun, try the local cuisine and wines, and enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere of relaxation.

Modern sports and hotel resorts, such as Puente Romano in Marbella, offer comprehensive “play & stay” packages, including training with licensed coaches, access to wellness areas, regenerative treatments, and evening wine tastings at local bodegas. These types of experiences are part of a broader trend in quality tourism, where physical activity is becoming part of a lifestyle rather than just an element of sporting competition.