Origin Of Paddleball

 

Recently, the European Padball Federation and the Italian Padball Federation were officially established in Rome, Italy. Mr. Xu Shunwu, President of the Italian Innovation Center, attended the establishment ceremony as one of the founding chairmen.

 

This marks a new stage in the standardized, systematic, and professional development of padball tennis in Europe and Italy.

 

Vincent Candela, the 1998 FIFA World Cup champion and 2000 European Championship double winner, attended as a special guest and stated: "Padball tennis is a fascinating sport, and I believe it will become one of the most popular mass sports in Europe and even the world."

 

So, what is the allure of this sport that attracts football superstars and business leaders? How did it evolve from a chance invention to this historic moment?

 

An Accidental Invention in a Mexican Backyard

 

The origins of paddle tennis can be traced back to Mexico in 1969. Wealthy businessman Enrique Corcuera wanted to play tennis in his backyard, but the space wasn't large enough.

So, he had a brilliant idea: he built a 20x10 meter court and surrounded it with walls to prevent the ball from flying out.

 

The rules of this sport combine features of tennis and squash: the ball can bounce off walls, the scoring is the same as tennis, but the serve must be an underhand serve.

The court is smaller than a tennis court, the net is 88 centimeters high, and a solid racket with perforated surfaces is used.

 

Corcuera's friend, Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe of Spain, experienced the sport in Mexico and brought it back to Spain, where he built the first paddle tennis court in Europe at his resort in Marbella.

From then on, paddleboard tennis began to become popular in Spanish aristocracy, becoming a new social favorite among the wealthy and famous.

 

From an aristocratic game to a nationwide craze

 

Starting in the 1970s, paddle tennis gradually moved from aristocratic social circles to the general public. Spain became the core area for the sport's development, and it quickly spread to other Latin American countries such as Argentina and Mexico.

 

In Spain, the development of paddle tennis is nothing short of miraculous. According to 2023 data, Spain has over 20,000 paddle tennis courts and over 5 million registered players.

The sport has become the second most popular sport in Spain, second only to football.

 

The rapid popularization of paddle tennis stems from its unique advantages: relatively small court requirements, lower investment costs than standard tennis courts; low entry barrier, allowing beginners to quickly enjoy playing; and strong social aspect, with doubles promoting interpersonal communication.

 

Latin American countries like Argentina also quickly embraced the sport. With 4 million paddle tennis players, it's considered a national sport.

Paddle tennis courts are ubiquitous in Buenos Aires, becoming an integral part of the daily leisure activities of its citizens.