Could Padel Be a Longevity Sport?

The Trend: Pickleball is old news. Padel is the new kid on the block, and we’re here for it. The BBC reported in 2024 that there were more than 30 million padel players worldwide. The game first popped onto the racket sports scene in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico. It’s scored similar to lawn tennis, and is usually played in doubles on small, enclosed courts. Bouncing off the wall is allowed and encouraged! 

What People Are Saying: Professional padel player Roy Tabet, previously a tennis player, says he began to find tennis repetitive and “immediately felt the passion” when he started playing padel. The United States Padel Association says “It’s only a matter of time before the United States becomes a major player in the padel world,” and the former director of the organization forecasted 10 million players and 30,000 courts in the U.S. by 2030. 

What to Know: A Danish study found that tennis and badminton players had longer life expectancies (about 10 and six years, respectively) than people who played other sports. With pickleball reporting a 311% increase in recent years, and new games like padel and typti entering the scene, that means there are an increasing number of ways to have fun while staying fit and socially active.