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There has been talk from some, including the legendary Novak Djokovic, that the sport of tennis is under serious threat. Others have claimed that padel is just a fad.
Critics have complained that it’s too loud, or too hard to get four people together – given that padel is mainly played in doubles – and the people who truly love it, like Jason Manford, are worried it’s in danger of lurching towards elitism.
Away from the world of comedy, Manford, a self-confessed padel addict who moved across from tennis after a shoulder injury, is on a personal mission to help grow this unique game. While this professional funny man may tell jokes for a living, when it comes to padel, he is nothing but serious.
Despite impressive growth, though, Great Britain failed to enter a team at the last world youth championships. Meanwhile, the founder of a new club in London vows he’s learnt from the key mistakes made in his home country of Sweden.
With plenty to unpack, and Manford’s ‘dream’ for Brisbane 2032, Metro took a deep dive into the curious world of padel. Here’s what we found…
Is the rise of padel a genuine threat to tennis?
Earlier this year, Djokovic warned that club tennis is ‘endangered’ amid the growing popularity of alternatives such as padel in Europe and pickleball in the United States.
There’s some truth in that. If you are of a certain age, and have suffered injuries, then padel may make more sense to you than tennis. It has a less strenuous impact on the body, a smaller court and it’s easier to play. Plus, new clubs are popping up everywhere.
‘For a lot of my mates, who are in their 50s and want to be active but can’t afford to break their ankles, it’s perfect,’ Manford told Metro. ‘I injured my rotator cuff on my left shoulder. I’m left-handed. So serving was just killing me, it was so painful.
‘If you’re …
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