Padel – what it is and where to play in Serbia

Padel is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. It originated in Mexico in 1969 and is played only in doubles – two teams of two. The court is enclosed by glass walls and metal mesh, and the ball can bounce off the walls, creating long, dynamic rallies. Rackets are solid with no strings, and the ball is slightly less bouncy than a tennis ball. Padel is booming in Serbia: it suits all ages and levels, is easy to pick up, and the social side is half the fun.

A standard padel court is 10 × 20 metres (for doubles); a 6 × 20 m singles variant exists. The court is surrounded by glass back walls and metal or glass side walls, about 3–4 m high. The net dividing the court is 88 cm high. The surface is usually synthetic (carpet), concrete, or sometimes grass. Glass walls allow play off the wall and make it great to watch and play.

The serve is hit diagonally, below waist height, after one bounce; each player has two attempts. The ball must bounce on the opponent’s side first, then can hit the glass walls – similar to squash. Players can volley or play the ball after it bounces off the wall. A point is lost if the ball hits the metal mesh before the glass, or if it bounces twice on your side.

Padel uses the same scoring as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. A set is won with 6 games (by at least 2). A match is usually best of two sets. At 6:6 a tie-break is played. The rules are intuitive if you know tennis, and easy to explain to newcomers in one set.

Padel is ideal for social play, quick to learn, and doesn’t demand huge fitness at first. More and more clubs and sports centres in Serbia offer padel courts – indoor and outdoor. Book a court below and try it: after your first hour you can already enjoy rallies off the wall.