Tennis vs padel vs pickleball: What’s the difference between the sports?

Tennis, padel and pickleball are all enjoying surges in popularity across the globe

But what are the main differences between the three sports? MatchPoint Competitions writer Joshua Foster takes a look here… 

Court and playing area

Players play tennis on a larger court (23.77m x 8.23m for singles) with different surfaces such as clay, grass, or hard courts.

In padel, players use a smaller, enclosed court (20m x 10m) surrounded by glass and mesh walls, which allows the ball to bounce back and create dynamic rallies.

Pickleball uses the smallest court (13.41m x 6.10m), similar in size to badminton, with a low net and no walls.

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Equipment

Tennis players use strung rackets and pressurized balls. Power and spin play a big role in the ability to play the game, as well as physical conditioning. 

Padel players use solid, perforated, stringless rackets made mostly from carbon fibre, and the balls have slightly lower pressure than standard tennis balls.

Pickleball involves a paddle similar to a large table tennis bat with a perforated plastic ball called a wiffle, which makes the game much slower and more tactical.

Style of play

Tennis emphasizes speed, athleticism, and endurance, with long baseline rallies and strong serves playing a role in the level of your ability.

Padel blends tennis and squash. Walls extend rallies, encouraging strategy, teamwork and clever shot placement and the ability to predict bounces from the glass and cage walls.

The “kitchen” (non-volley zone) rules encourage dinks, drop shots, and precision over brute force.

Accessibilty

Tennis can be physically demanding and has a steeper learning curve, with many people taking years to perfect the art of playing.

Padel is easier for beginners since rallies last longer and power is less important. Many courts are available to the public, making it easier to start.

Pickleball is considered the most beginner-friendly, popular among all ages, especially seniors, with physical conditions not affecting people’s ability to play at a social level.

Final thoughts

When comparing Tennis vs padel vs pickleball, the right choice depends on your goals.

So what do you choose?

Read next : TV personality Kem Cetinay takes on 24-hour padel challenge for charity