The Rise of Padel! Price of Bath and The Padel Phenomenon

The History of Padel:

Padel is one of the fastest-growing racket sports in the world, with its blend of tennis and squash creating an exciting, social and crucially accessible game. It has been designed to be played in enclosed spaces with walls, using solid paddles instead of rackets. Padel had humble beginnings, but has experienced a large global expansion, capturing the hearts of millions of sports players around the world. Let’s dive into the history of padel, as well as exactly what Price of Bath has in store for padel players of all levels.

Long before padel became an international sensation, the roots of the game we know today were slowly forming. Indeed, the sport seems to have first appeared on cruise ships in the late 1800s, where solid padels instead of high-speed rackets were introduced to entertain passengers in the limited conditions of the ships. By 1928, ‘platform tennis’ had emerged, a small court game played primarily in New York as a sport that was playable during cold winters. This version of tennis also used solid padels, but it was not until 1969 that modern padel ball took shape.

It is thought that Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican businessman, wanted to build a tennis court at his Acapulco home but didn’t have enough space. His solution? A compact, walled court where the ball could stay in play longer, creating fast-paced, dynamic rallies. He called it "Paddle Corcuera," and the blueprint for modern padel was born. Then, in 1974, Spanish prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe visited Corcuera’s home and fell in love with the game. He brought it back to Spain, building the first European padel courts at the luxurious Marbella Club. The sport’s social, energetic nature made it an instant hit among Spain’s elite. Meanwhile, Argentine millionaire Julio Menditenguia introduced padel to Argentina, where it exploded in popularity. By the 1980s, Buenos Aires was packed with public courts, and padel became a national obsession.

Padel becomes a professional sport:

Padel’s growth wasn’t just recreational though, as a professional ecosystem was being created around it. In 1991, the International Padel Federation (IPF) was founded, organizing world championships and standardizing rules. By 2005, the Padel Pro Tour launched, giving elite players a competitive stage.

The official rules of padel resemble a mix of squash and tennis. One serves underhand, the ball can hit the walls, but must bounce on the ground first before touching a side or back wall. Players can use the walls (like in squash) to return shots, making for exciting and strategic rallies. Like tennis, the ball can only bounce once on your side before you must return it.

In 2013, the sport took its biggest leap yet with the World Padel Tour (WPT), a premier circuit that turned players into stars and packed stadiums across Europe and Latin America. Today, the WPT attracts plenty of viewers, with prize money and sponsorships skyrocketing year on year.

In total, padel is now played in over 130 countries by an estimated 30 million people. In particular, Spain boasts over 20,000 courts and around 6 million regular players. While the sport has boomed in the UK, going from just 51 courts in 2020 to 760 in 2024, and with many more developments forthcoming.

Price and Padel: How We Support Your Game!

Price of Bath offers a range of unique products for the aspiring or experienced padel players, helping you play on court with unique style.

We offer a range of colourful padel balls so you can stand out with our distinctive high-visibility neon ball shades. You can also have your name or logo printed on your padel ball for a great gift or an stylish showpiece for your padel event. Our customisable balls have been used in various branded events, including the Soho House Summer Padel Championships and Tom Holland’s Bero Padel Classic at the Padel Social Club.

Most significant is our signature sustainable ‘Phoenix’ Padel balls, the only recyclable padel ball that is 100% sustainable. Our system of recycling your balls with us is simple and intuitive. Buy your recycled Phoenix Padel Balls with return packaging included and play to your heart's content. When your balls are at the end of their playable life you are ready to return them to us; print off your return postage label, pop your Phoenix Padel Balls in the recycled packaging and post back to us.

Join us in our journey to make Padel more sustainable with the first planet-friendly Padel ball and avoid the hundreds of millions of balls going into landfill once they have been played with. Why choose between ethics and excellence, when our ball delivers both?

Our balls are made to International Padel Federation standards, falling in the middle of their padel specifications, making sure you have a consistent bounce every time you play.

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Phoenix Padel Championship Ready Padel Balls

Price Personalised Championship Ready Padel Balls

Print Your Logo on to Coloured Padel Balls