Where Did Padel Originate? History and Global Spread

Padel originated in 1969 at Las Brisas in Acapulco, Mexico, at the home of Enrique Corcuera. At Wildcard Sport, we research federation archives and governing-body records to trace how the game spread. Corcuera built a walled 65.6 by 32.8 foot (20 by 10 m) court because his backyard was too small for tennis.

His wife, Viviana Corcuera, a former Miss Argentina, wrote the first rules as a birthday gift. The game was first called "padel Corcuera" and later shortened to "padel". In 2026, the International Padel Federation (FIP) reports that padel is played in more than 150 countries by approximately 35 million amateur participants.

How It Started in Acapulco

Enrique Corcuera created padel because his residential property in the Las Brisas neighborhood of Acapulco could not accommodate a full-sized tennis court. He adapted the playing area by building a compact court measuring 65.6 by 32.8 feet (20 by 10 m). The FIP rules still set a 20 by 10 m court, as our what padel is guide explains.

Historical records show minor differences regarding the exact year of invention. The International Padel Federation states on its official history page that Corcuera invented the sport in 1969. Mexico News Daily describes the origin as "the 1960s." An October 2024 FIP retrospective and a report published by WLRN say "the late 1960s." All sources agree that the sport began at Corcuera's home in Acapulco.

Viviana Corcuera and the First Rules

Viviana Corcuera codified the earliest rules of the sport, writing the regulations down as a birthday present for her husband. Her involvement in the sport extended into formal sports administration. In 1992, she served as one of the founding members of the Mexican Padel Federation.

Mexican government bodies have recognized the sport's domestic origins. In 2022, the Mexican Senate granted posthumous recognition to Enrique Corcuera, who died in 1999. The Senate also formally honored Viviana Corcuera and Ignacio Soto Borja y Anda for their roles in establishing the sport.

Why Padel Has Walls

Enrique Corcuera added walls around his Acapulco court so balls would not reach the neighboring property. The enclosure stopped missed shots from leaving his residential lot and allowed players to keep rallies alive off the rebounds. What began as a practical boundary solution became the defining feature of the game.

Padel courts today are built to the same size, as our padel court dimensions guide shows. You can test these layout requirements against available land using our padel court size tool.

The walls changed how players approached racket fundamentals. Instead of ending a rally when a ball passed a defender, players could let the ball rebound off the back or side wall and return it across the net. This dynamic separated padel from open-court games and established the enclosed tactical style used in modern play.

Marbella and the Spread to Spain

Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe introduced padel to Spain after playing the game at Corcuera's home in Acapulco. Alfonso had founded the Marbella Club Hotel in Andalusia in 1954. According to Mexico News Daily, Alfonso introduced the game to Spain in 1970.

In 1974, Alfonso built the first padel courts outside Mexico at the Marbella Club Hotel.

Argentina and the First National Associations

Julio Menditeguy brought padel from the Marbella Club in Spain to Argentina. The earliest Argentine courts opened at Club Tortugas and the Mar del Plata Ocean Club.

In 1988, organizers established the Asociación Padel Argentino, which was the first national padel association in the world. A group led by Oscar "Cacho" Nicastro organized the association, and Alberto Villaverde served as its first elected president. That same year, in January 1988, Spain and Argentina competed in Mar del Plata in the sport's first international competition.

In 1989, coach Jorge Galeotti of Mar del Plata built the "Crystal Palace," which was the first detachable, transportable glass padel court. FIP's 2024 retrospective says padel took off in the 1980s, driven by Argentina and Spain. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the first courts appeared across Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, France, the United States, Canada, and Italy.

One Set of Rules Worldwide

On 12 July 1991, the International Padel Federation was founded in Madrid by the national padel associations of Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay. Julio Alegría Artiach, from Bilbao, was elected as the federation's first president. FIP's headquarters today is the Maison du Sport International in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In 1992, Spain hosted the inaugural World Padel Championships. Matches took place in Madrid, and the finals were held at Expo 92 in Seville. The championships were set as a biennial event.

In 1997, representatives from Spain and Argentina met in Barcelona to unify the padel rules and standardize the sport's official title as "Padel." Before that, Argentina had spelled the sport "Paddle".

The number of national federations in FIP grew from 11 to 100:

End of the 1990s: 11 member federations
End of the 2010s: More than 40 member federations
2023: 70 member federations
2026: 100 member federations

Padel in the United States Since 1993

Padel arrived in the United States in 1993 when Ed Thompson and Felipe Arnold built the country's first padel court at the Houstonian Hotel Club and Spa in Houston, Texas. The first US men's team formed that same year. USA Padel traces its institutional history back to that original 1993 installation.

Mike May, the original 1993 team captain, was elected president of the national association in 1998. In March 2022, USA Padel hosted the Senior World Championships. USA Padel noted that the tournament was the first international padel championship held in the United States.

Padel has had an organized American presence since 1993. If you are choosing between sports, compare padel vs pickleball or padel vs tennis. To find a court, read our guide to finding a padel court near you.

Pro Tours and Multi-Sport Games

The professional padel circuit went through a major corporate restructuring between 2022 and 2024. Premier Padel launched in 2022, and FIP says more than 500 players have competed on it since. At the time, the rival World Padel Tour (WPT) operated independently under Setpoint Events, a company owned by Damm.

On 24 August 2023, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and Damm announced an agreement for QSI to acquire the World Padel Tour business. Premier Padel and the WPT operated as separate tours through the end of 2023. Starting in 2024, the tours unified into a single global circuit named Premier Padel, operating under the official governance of FIP.

Padel has also joined several continental multi-sport competitions:

2023 European Games in Kraków: Debut as a medal sport
Mediterranean Games in Taranto (August 22 to 28, 2026): Multi-sport medal debut
2026 South American Games in Santa Fe: Official medal sport
2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games: Official medal sport
2027 European Games in Istanbul: Confirmed multi-sport medal event

FIP pages do not describe padel as part of the Olympic program. FIP states that its organizational mission includes working to achieve padel's future inclusion in the Olympic Games. To learn court positioning, match strategy, and basic wall shots, read our guide on how to play padel, or go back to the padel basics guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did padel originate?

Padel originated in Acapulco, Mexico, at the residential property of Enrique Corcuera in the Las Brisas neighborhood. Corcuera built a 65.6 by 32.8 foot (20 by 10 m) court surrounded by walls because his property lacked the space required for a standard tennis court. It reached Spain in 1970, according to Mexico News Daily, and later Argentina.

Who invented padel?

Enrique Corcuera invented padel on his residential estate in Acapulco, Mexico. His wife, Viviana Corcuera, drafted the sport's first written rulebook as a birthday present for her husband. In 2022, the Mexican Senate granted posthumous recognition to Enrique Corcuera, Viviana Corcuera, and Ignacio Soto Borja y Anda for their contributions to creating the sport.

When was padel invented?

The International Padel Federation states that padel was invented in 1969. Historical publications describe slight variations in date precision: Mexico News Daily reports the origin as the 1960s, while a 2024 retrospective from the International Padel Federation and an article published by WLRN date the game to the late 1960s. All sources agree that the first court was constructed in Acapulco.

Why does padel have walls?

Enrique Corcuera built walls around his court so balls would not reach the neighboring property. The enclosure kept errant shots on his property and allowed players to hit rebounds off the barriers. That design choice established the enclosed, tactical style of play that defines the modern sport.

How did padel get to Spain?

Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe introduced padel to Spain after playing the game at Enrique Corcuera's home in Acapulco, Mexico. Alfonso introduced the sport to Spain in 1970 and built the first padel courts outside Mexico at the Marbella Club Hotel in Andalusia in 1974.

Is padel Spanish or Mexican?

Padel is Mexican in origin, created by Enrique Corcuera in Acapulco in 1969. Spain and Argentina built its institutions: Argentina founded the first national association in 1988, and the Argentine, Spanish and Uruguayan associations founded the International Padel Federation in Madrid in 1991.

When did padel come to the United States?

Padel arrived in the United States in 1993 when Ed Thompson and Felipe Arnold built the country's first court at the Houstonian Hotel Club and Spa in Houston, Texas. The first United States men's national team formed that same year under captain Mike May, who later became president of the national association in 1998. In March 2022, USA Padel hosted the Senior World Championships, which was the first international padel championship held in the United States.

Is padel an Olympic sport?

Not according to FIP, whose pages do not describe padel as part of the Olympic program. The International Padel Federation states that its organizational mission includes promoting padel's eventual inclusion in the Olympic Games. Padel has competed as a medal sport at continental events, including the 2023 European Games in Kraków, the 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe, and the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.