MMexico, Spain and Argentina were the three countries that consolidated paddle tennis around the world. This story began to be written in the 60s, although, years ago, the United States would begin the story.
If paddle tennis has stood out for something in recent years, it is because of its dizzying growth in international popularity. The history of paddle tennis is also told between continents, an involvement of three countries that has culminated in the establishment of paddle tennis as a sports practice.
Origin of padel
Who created paddle tennis?
Several centuries had to pass until we reached paddle tennis as we currently know it. The background of padel They date back to the end of the 19th century. In the United States, Frank Beal decides to modify a tennis court in order to facilitate the teaching of this sport to the little ones. Simplifying the game also involved using a foam ball and a wooden paddle.
When Frank Beal moves to Manhattan he will continue to expand the changes of dimensions initially promoted in Michigan. A couple of years later, in the neighborhood of Scardale, New York, some tennis courts were adapted with side bars to prevent the loss of balls and stringless paddles were incorporated. The last big change in this modality was to introduce a wooden and sand platform that would allow snow to be removed during the winter and play on rainy days.
The model devised by Frank Beal (Paddle Tennis) and its subsequent readaptation in New York (Platform Tennis) lay the foundations for the history of padel.
What year was paddle tennis invented?
The first versions of paddle tennis were established in the United States around the 1930s. However, in México an event arises that will mark the true birth of this sport.
The history of current padel has a name and surname: Enrique Corcuera. The Mexican businessman decided to wall his 20-meter-long and 10-meter-wide runway to prevent vegetation from occupying part of the land. Using traditional tennis scoring rules, the new sport gained popularity among Corcuera's friends, among whom was Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg.
Prince Hohenlohe was the founder of the Marbella Club, where he built the first two courts in Spain. The Costa del Sol was the reference point for the expansion of paddle tennis. People of great renown came to this place every year. And among these visitors was the Argentine businessman Julio Menditengui who finally exported the idea to Argentina and the rest of the Latin American countries.
What were the first padel rackets like?
The first padel rackets were made of wood. The two modalities that were developed in the United States (Paddle Tennis and Platform Tennis) dispensed with strings on rackets and shortened their handles. In such a way that the first version of the padel rackets had a design more similar to that of a beach racket rather than the rackets that we currently know.
Of these first blades, their weight is also worth highlighting. Despite their thin thickness, the first padel rackets exceeded 380 grams, something that among padel rackets Padel ProShop It is unthinkable.
Although wood was the predominant material, over the years other materials such as aluminum or resin were introduced until the perfection of the shovels from today.
When did padel rackets change?
Paddle rackets changed little by little throughout the last two decades of the 20th century. Precisely in this period, carbon or fiberglass acquire an important role. Around the 90s, brands like Sane incorporated rubber in their blades, after which many other brands followed in their footsteps.
With the arrival of the 21st century, technology ended up completely transforming the padel rackets of the previous period.
First padel court in the world
The first padel court in the world according to current padel is the court built by businessman Enrique Corcuera in his house in Acapulco. The track was 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. The back walls were about 3 meters high and the side walls one less. The net was located in the center of the court and on the sides two accesses were provided for the players.
History of padel in Spain
Who brought paddle tennis to Spain?
The precursor of paddle tennis in Spain was Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who in 1974 built the first 2 paddle tennis courts in Marbella. Little by little, the sport of Mexican origin became popular among visitors to the Marbella Club.
Alfonso de Hohenlohe was a great friend of Corcuera and among one of the many visits of the aristocratic class to the Mexican's house in Acapulco, the Spanish businessman fell in love with paddle tennis. Upon his return to Spain, Hohenlohe introduced modifications to the courts present in the club, but this was not enough, so in 1974 he built the first two padel courts in Spain. As a particularity, these two runways had wire fences that completely covered both sides.
When did paddle tennis start to be played in Spain?
The growth and practice of paddle tennis in Spain was gradual. After the construction of the first two paddle tennis courts in the country, the sport became popular through the organization of tournaments.
At the end of the 90s, the number of padel courts multiplied and, along with it, the number of padel players. Catalonia, Andalusia and the Basque Country are examples of other communities that also installed paddle tennis courts.
Likewise, when political figures, businessmen, athletes and journalists began to practice paddle tennis, its growth skyrocketed. One of the most famous examples is the case of former president José María Aznar. During his period as president, the media covered some of the former president's informal matches and paddle tennis reached millions of homes that did not yet know of its existence.
Other key figures for the expansion of paddle tennis in Spain was Manolo Santana. The Spanish tennis player organizing tournaments on the Costa del Sol caused more and more clubs to want to have their own padel courts.
The history of paddle tennis continues to be rewritten. In this last decade, paddle tennis has become one of the most practiced sports in Spain. One of the reasons for its expansion has been the installation of more and more padel courts and, of course, by big names in padel who have ended up popularizing a sport in full global expansion.
