Padel is a sport that's growing in popularity, not only in the Netherlands, but certainly internationally as well. When asked "what is padel?", the answer is often that it's a dynamic sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. Naturally, this creates a unique playing experience that appeals to both men and women worldwide. But where does padel actually come from, and where did it originate? Sjeng Sports delved into the history books to discover who or what founded this emerging sport.
Where did padel originate?
Padel, the story goes, originated in 1969 in the Mexican resort town of Acapulco. A wealthy Mexican businessman named Enrique Corcuera loved tennis but lacked the space at home to build a full-sized court. Wanting to create something similar, he decided to slightly modify the rules and court dimensions, creating a smaller court with walls and fences to make the game more intense and dynamic. This is how padel was born, which at the time was primarily played by the Mexican elite.
Not long after, the first padel courts were also built in Europe. Alfonso de Hohenlohe, a Spanish friend of Corcuera, was so impressed by the new sport during his visit to Mexico that he brought padel to Spain. In 1974, the first European padel club was built in Marbella. This club quickly attracted the attention of a group of wealthy Spanish entrepreneurs and other leading figures in the tennis world, such as former Wimbledon champion Manolo Santana. This only accelerated the sport's growth and rapid development.
Also popular in South America
Padel didn't just spread to Europe. Argentinian millionaire Julio Menditengui, a friend of De Hohenlohe, introduced padel to Argentina, where it quickly became incredibly popular. Soon, over 10,000 padel courts were built, and millions of people were already playing. It wasn't long before the sport spread to other South American countries, including Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay.
While the first padel courts were built in Spain in 1974, the sport really took off here from the 1990s onward. It's now by far the most popular sport in that country, after football, with millions of players and countless padel courts. The first Padel World Championship took place in Seville in 1992, and the event has been held annually ever since, which has naturally contributed to the sport's international growth and popularity.
How did padel come to the Netherlands?
It's safe to say that padel has now gained a foothold in the Netherlands. Padel's growth in our country is partly fueled by many former top athletes, such as footballers Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, and other well-known Dutch personalities, who are often found on the court and share their stories here. One of the first initiatives to introduce padel to the Netherlands came from Guus Hiddink, who had a padel court built at the PSV training center in 2006. While it didn't quite meet all the requirements, it did generate the necessary attention and thus increased interest in the sport.
The first official padel courts in the Netherlands were built in Vijfhuizen and Spijkenisse, after which the sport quickly spread to other cities. The Dutch Padel Federation (NPB) was founded in 2011 and was recognized by the International Padel Federation (FIP). Since 2016, padel has been represented by the KNLTB Padel, and in 2020, the NPB and the KNLTB merged to jointly support and promote padel in the Netherlands. And with success: thousands of padel courts have now been built in the Netherlands, and a growing number of players are discovering or have already been introduced to the sport.
Are you going to play padel too? Get your outfit at Sjeng Sports!
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