Is Padel the Newest "It" Sport? I Tried It to Find Out

Think of padel as pickleball's cool older sister. The rackets are thick and dense, making a satisfying "thwack" every time the yellow tennis ball hits against the perforated surface. Players move across a much larger court in pairs, without having to worry about the no-volley zones you see in pickleball. But perhaps most notably, padel courts are completely encased by tall, glass walls — and players are encouraged to use them to their advantage. Pickleball has certainly had its moment in the spotlight: As people started to seek out socially-distanced activities in 2020, pickleball became the fastest-growing sport in the US, with more than 36.5 million people playing between August 2021 and August 2022. But over the past year, search interest in pickleball decreased nearly 10 percent, while padel reached an all-time high in 2025. Searches for Padel "courts near me" also, saw a 30 percent increase, per Google Trends' 2026 Trends Predictions. Curious as to what might be driving this shift in interest, I decided to try padel for myself. Here's how it went, what I liked about it, and how I felt afterwards as a true beginner. Read on for the full padel report, plus some professional insight as to why padel may be coming for the racket sports throne. My Padel Experience "Athletic" isn't exactly the first word I'd use to describe myself. I'm a health and fitness editor of the yoga and sound bath variety. The good news is, you don't need to be an Olympian to try padel (and that's coming from someone with a prosthetic eye and limited depth perception). My first padel lesson was on the private court of Brad Korzen, co-founder of Proper Hospitality. As a fan of padel himself, Korzen is bringing padel to Proper Hotels, and the excitement is real. "Padel really meets the moment in how people want to move and connect right now," a Proper Hotels rep tells Popsugar. "It has a low barrier to entry, so anyone can get involved, but it still delivers the energy, competition, and social interaction that keeps them coming back." I certainly found this to be true with my own padel experience. Starting off with a few basic drills, I quickly got the hang of the heavier racket, even if I swung and missed a handful of times. I liked how much power I was able to deliver, and the thrill of the ball connecting to the racket made me want to spend more time out on the court. Another plus for beginners? You can use the glass walls to bounce the ball and catch rebounds, resulting in less restricted play. "What's also accelerating the growth is how visual the sport is — the rallies, the glass court, the pace of play all translate incredibly well on social media," the Proper rep says. "Whether for hotel guests or members, demand has been tremendous, and it's quickly become one of those amenities people build real rituals around." With some experience under my belt, I scheduled my next session at the Padel Up courts on top of the Century City mall. Feeling more confident in my abilities, I noticed some improvement, missing less and hitting more consistently. I met up with friends and noted that — despite the walls surrounding the perimeter of the court — padel still felt incredibly social to me. I had plenty of downtime to chat with other players, lament over bad swings, and cheer people on. Frankly, I wasn't good enough to be all that competitive, but I could definitely see how this sport would spark some friendly rivalry. Padel Takeaways There's a lot to love about padel. It lets you move around more freely and operate from a place of strength and power, rather than precision and control. "Pickleball opened the door for social racket sports in the US, but padel feels like a natural evolution," Proper says. "It offers a more dynamic workout, a stronger built-in social format, and a level of strategy and competitiveness that really resonates with today's consumer." Like many new sports, padel can be a little intimidating at first. But with a good group of friends, it's really not that difficult to get started. The gameplay is fun and straightforward, but it's not so intense that you can't take a break or yap with your friends (one of my all-time favorite pastimes). My advice to you? Text the group chat, book a court, and pick up the racket. Odds are, you won't look back. 49476103 Chandler Plante (she/her) is a social producer and staff writer for the Health & Fitness team at Popsugar. She has over five years of industry experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine, a social media manager for Millie magazine, and a contributor for Bustle Digital Group. She has a degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and is based in Los Angeles.