The rise (and rise) of padel: How rapidly growing racket sport beloved by David Beckham, Jurgen Klopp and Serena Williams is putting tennis 'at risk' - as padelmania sweeps across Britain

As Wimbledon battles connected successful SW19 you could beryllium forgiven for reasoning that tennis will ever beryllium nan King of racquet sports successful Britain.

But arsenic stars including David Beckham, Jurgen Klopp and moreover Serena Williams time off nan crippled successful their dust, athletes of each ages are alternatively flocking to effort their manus astatine padel.

The athletics - which is played connected a smaller tribunal and pinch coagulated raquets - has seen a meteoric emergence since its invention by a Mexican businessman successful nan 1960s, pinch much than 500 courts crossed nan country.

And now athletes opportunity they fearfulness it could eclipse tennis altogether - pinch seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic saying nan athletics is 'endangered'.

The 37-year-old blamed tennis clubs for this maturation - saying location is not capable effort to make tennis 'accessible' aliases 'affordable'. 

'Tennis is nan king aliases queen of each nan racket sports, that's true, but connected a nine level tennis is endangered,' nan Serbian number 1 said. 

'If we don't do thing astir it, arsenic I said, globally aliases collectively, padel - aliases pickleball successful nan States - they're going to person each nan tennis clubs into padel and pickleball because it's conscionable much economical.

'You person 1 tennis court. You tin build 3 padel courts connected 1 tennis court. You do nan elemental math.

'It's conscionable overmuch much financially viable for an proprietor of a nine to person those courts.'

With little crushed to screen and a cardinal attraction connected nan societal element, nan crippled has been lauded arsenic a cleanable athletics for those who person passed their sporting highest - peculiarly arsenic it swaps retired tennis' serves for an underarm alternative.

But it is not conscionable reserved for nan aged - pinch superfit athletes including Lebron James sharing their emotion for nan game, and F1 stars Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz many times picturing their shared games connected societal media.

Even Andy Murray has backed nan increasing crippled - investing successful court-building institution Game4Padel successful 2019, arsenic he called it 'one of nan fastest emerging racket sports successful nan world correct now'. His mum Judy called nan athletics ‘sociable and fun’.

And erstwhile British number 1 Annabel Croft championed nan athletics - saying it is easier to prime up than tennis.

'It's a very inclusive sport, there's nary barriers to anybody trying to prime up a bat and trying to person a go. I would promote anyone to springiness it a go,' she told The Telegraph.

In 10 years nan number of group playing padel has doubled worldwide - from 12 cardinal successful 2014 to 30 cardinal successful 2024. It is played by 200,000 amateurs crossed nan UK.

But successful six years nan number of group playing tennis successful nan UK grew by little than 3 per cent - from 889,000 successful 2015-16 to 915,000 successful 2021-22, according to Sport England's Active Lives Survey. The accepted athletics still remains nan ascendant force, however, pinch 87 cardinal players globally successful 2017.

According to Women’s Health, you tin pain betwixt 700 and 1,000 calories a session, pinch peculiar benefits for nan glutes and legs.

James Rock, 35, nan co-founder of Padel People, runs an area for nan athletics successful Wimbledon, little than 2 miles from Centre Court.

A erstwhile top-50 master rackets player, he argues padel tin beryllium a 'nice addition' to tennis.

He told MailOnline: 'I judge that there's surely a measurement that they tin coexist peacefully and really thief 1 different successful position of their popularity.

'I deliberation padel has sewage immoderate advantages - it's a small spot easier than tennis truthful perchance can appeal to a wider scope of abilities.

'I deliberation padel has sewage a agelong measurement to spell to benignant of found itself nan measurement that tennis is established.'

Mr Rock runs nan sports nine alongside schoolfriend George Sandbach, pinch nan brace mounting up their Wimbledon tribunal a twelvemonth ago.

They started playing 3 years agone aft a section nine successful Cheltenham group up a fewer courts, and they realised nan imaginable for expanding nan web of places to bask nan sport. 

He continued: 'It's been very celebrated - we're beautiful busy. I'd opportunity we tally astatine astir location betwixt for illustration 85 to 90 per cent capacity

'I haven't recovered nan benignant of traditionalist tennis crowd have in immoderate measurement had a problem pinch it. 

'I don't deliberation it's pulled anybody distant from tennis clubs, aliases had an effect connected tennis numbers astir Wimbledon. I think it's conscionable been a bully summation for different people.

'It's a bully spot to person truthful group person an indoor court, When nan weather's not nan champion they tin travel and still get a game.'

The costs of booking a tribunal ranges betwixt £40 and £80 - much than doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic a tennis court, which tin beryllium booked for free done galore section councils but different costs betwixt £8 and £20. 

The much exclusive quality intends it tin besides beryllium much lucrative for tennis clubs - pinch nan smaller courts besides meaning that much tin beryllium packed successful nan aforesaid area. 

And arsenic galore clubs struggled pinch plummeting participation, section teams person enthusiastically embraced nan caller athletics arsenic a measurement to survive. 

Thistle Tennis Club successful Edinburgh erstwhile had much than 350 members, and pinch six courts was 1 of nan starring teams successful nan eastbound of Scotland.

But arsenic their rank fell to arsenic small arsenic 60 adults, successful a bid to revitalise nan nine they opened courts successful 2017 and saw rank rebound to moreover much than their original number - moreover producing Britain's number 1 pair.

Djokovic was quizzed connected whether tennis should move to a three-set format to effort and summation much young fans.

The athletics has tried to alteration its image to pull caller supports successful caller years pinch an insider Netflix series, Break Point.

It was hoped nan show would do for tennis what Drive to Survive did for F1.

Djokovic based on that tennis should support 5 sets astatine slightest successful nan past rounds of a expansive slam because of nan 'excitement' but agreed nan athletics needs innovation.

'When we look astatine Formula 1, for example, and what they person done successful position of marketing, successful position of maturation of nan sport, successful position of nan races astir nan world and really celebrated they are, I deliberation we request to do a amended occupation connected our respective tours,' he said.

Padel was invented successful 1969, by Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera, who wanted a tennis tribunal astatine his Acapulco home, but didn’t person nan abstraction – and was worried astir losing nan shot into his neighbour’s garden.

His woman Viviana, a erstwhile Miss Argentina, helped put together nan rules, based connected a 1920s pastime played connected British cruise ships. 

A friend of Corcuera’s, Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, has been referred to arsenic nan grandfather of padel for bringing it to Spain successful nan 1970s and opening courts astatine nan Marbella Club hotel. 

It’s now hailed arsenic nan country’s 2nd astir celebrated athletics aft shot - and is loved by nationalist tennis leader Rafael Nadal.

Unsurprisingly, world investors are flocking to padel, including respective celebrated faces. Andy Murray backs Game4Padel, which is bringing nan athletics to Westfield London, and Cristiano Ronaldo has put money into a elephantine installation successful Lisbon. 

And it’s not conscionable swarming pinch pro athletes – celebrated faces specified arsenic Hugh Grant, Shakira and Pippa Middleton are besides game. 

Padel was recognised by nan International Olympic Committee successful 2019, was officially designated a subject of tennis successful Britain successful 2020.

It was played astatine nan European Games successful Poland successful 2023, successful its first quality successful a awesome multi-sport event. 

Snobs whitethorn erstwhile person complained it was a ‘dumbed-down’ type of tennis – nan sport’s balanced of crazy play – but nan well-heeled (such arsenic nan Chipping Norton Set) are installing courts successful their homes. 

Even Royal hangout The Hurlingham Club has 4 padel courts successful its West London grounds. 

It’s particularly celebrated pinch footballers including Mo Salah, David Beckham, who played while surviving successful Miami, and Lionel Messi, who has a tribunal astatine his Barcelona home. 

When London’s Battersea Park precocious announced free introductory sessions astatine its caller padel facility, slots were booked solid. (Weekend sessions are still chocker, contempt costing £32 an hour.) 

In Leeds, a Grade II listed railway motor shed is being converted, while Manchester is building a £2.5million analyzable dedicated to nan sport.

And nan UK’s basking caller Estelle Manor edifice successful Oxfordshire is simply a hub, having gone for padel alternatively than tennis courts.