“Have you ever played padel?” If you’ve been asked this question over the last couple of months, you’re certainly not alone.

The number of people playing padel in the UK has grown slowly over the last decade or so – but the surge in popularity it’s seen over the last 12 months has made it clear that the racket sport is firmly here to stay. It’s estimated that 90,000 people across Britain now play the sport on an annual basis, with sales of padel rackets at sports retailer Decathlon increasing by between 120% and 190% every year since 2019.

As far as the rest of us are concerned, experts are already predicting that padel could be the UK’s next mass participation sport. And with everyone from tennis aficionados and professional footballers to complete beginners now vying to get a taste of the action, it feels as if those predictions could quickly be coming true.

“I played padel for the first time – here’s why I’m now recommending it to all my friends”