Padel, racket sport played in at least 90 countries, is gaining attention in U.S.

One racket sport that’s been picking up steam internationally for years is now gaining attention in the United States. It’s not tennis, squash, racquetball or pickleball. It’s padel, which reportedly got its start in Mexico in the 1960s, and is now played in at least 90 countries.

Padel is played two-on-two, and all serves are underhand. Players can use the turf court and glass walls to their advantage.

One of padel’s highest-profile fans is three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Andy Murray, who has put his own money into the sport with an investment in a padel company in the U.K., Game4Padel.

What is the sport’s appeal to him? 

“There’s obviously a bit of crossover to tennis,” Murray said. “But it’s probably a little bit easier, a bit more forgiving on the body. But still, you know, it’s fun, it’s competitive, it’s good exercise. It’s a great game to play socially.

“I believe it is a better game to play than pickleball, which I know everyone is trying just now,” Murray said.

New Yorkers are now getting a taste of the sport, at the city’s very first padel club, Padel Haus, in Brooklyn.

Former tennis pro Jordana Lujan picked up padel during the pandemic, and quickly got drafted to the Pro Padel League – North America’s first professional circuit. PPL kicked off its inaugural season last month.  

“I fell in love with padel very recently, but I deeply fell in love with it,” Lujan said. 

She was excited, but said it’s going to take more than a pro league for the sport to catch on in the U.S.

“If padel gets into universities, into colleges, I think that’s what’s gonna explode,” Lujan said.

Don’t miss the 2023 Pro Padel League Championship, Thursday, June 22 at 10 p.m. ET, on the CBS Sports Network.