Tennis vs Padel: Which Should You Try?
Padel exploded in Australia in 2024-2025 -- Spain's second-favourite sport landed hard in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Here's how it compares to tennis.
Quick Comparison
Court size: Tennis 23.77m x 8.23m (singles). Padel 20m x 10m, with glass and mesh walls. Format: Tennis singles or doubles. Padel almost always doubles. Walls: Tennis no walls. Padel uses walls strategically. Scoring: Both use tennis scoring (15-30-40-game, sets to 6).
Skill Crossover
Tennis players adapt to padel within 3-5 sessions. The big learning curves: (1) reading walls -- balls bounce off the back/side glass and stay in play; (2) underarm serve only -- no overhead serve; (3) softer touch -- power matters less than placement.
Equipment Differences
Tennis racket: Strung, 27 inches, 280-340g. Padel racket: Solid foam, holes drilled, no strings, 365-385g. Balls: Padel uses tennis balls but with slightly less pressure. Most Australian padel clubs supply balls.
Cost & Access
Padel costs more per hour ($30-$50 court hire, often club membership required). Tennis is more accessible -- public courts and casual hire across Australia. Padel availability in 2026: 50+ clubs nationwide, mostly metropolitan. Sydney leads, then Melbourne and Brisbane.
Fitness Demands
Tennis singles is harder cardio. Padel doubles is more about agility and reflex than endurance. Padel is gentler on joints -- slower ball, smaller court, no full-power overhead serves.
The Verdict
Padel is incredibly social and addictive -- you laugh more in 90 minutes than in a 3-hour tennis match. Tennis remains the deeper sport: bigger court, more shot variety, more tactical depth. Most converts play both.
Related
Tennis vs Pickleball | Tennis vs Squash | Tennis vs Badminton.
Crossover-friendly tennis gear
Wristbands, bags, towels -- works for tennis, padel, and pickleball.