What is padel, and where can you play it? Discover the ins and outs of this exciting sport and where to find courts in Sydney and beyond.
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, yet it is still very much unknown in Sydney and in Australia as a whole.
While you won’t have any issue finding a padel court in many European countries, Australia still has a lot of catching up to do.
In this article, we are going to explain what padel is and where you can find courts and clubs in Sydney and in other cities around Australia!
What Is Padel?
Padel is a racket sport that was invented in Mexico in the late 1960s, and has since spread to various other Latin American countries. It has also become extremely popular in Spain and other European countries.
We all know tennis, and most of us will also be familiar with squash. Padel is best described as a mix of those two sports. It’s very similar to tennis in setup and scoring, with the key difference being that the court is surrounded by glass and mesh walls.
Padel is always played in doubles, although for training purposes, playing one against one is also possible. It’s a relatively easy-to-learn sport where strategy is more important than power, and is suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Padel Court
A padel court looks very similar to a tennis court, with a net in the middle, and glass and mesh walls surrounding the entire court.
The court measures 20 x 10 metres and is approximately one-third smaller than a professional tennis court.
The walls create a cage-like structure and have a door at each end of the net. The ball can be played off the walls, similar to how squash works.
During a rally, a player is allowed to run outside the court to return a ball into play when the opponent smashes the ball such that it goes over the walls.
Padel Racquets
A padel racquet is smaller than a tennis racket, is made of solid materials, and has holes rather than strings.
It comes in three different shapes:
- Round shape
- Diamond shape
- Teardrop shape
Which racquet you choose will depend on your skills, your style of play, and your personal preferences.
While tennis balls can be used in padel, real padel balls are preferred. Padel balls are a bit softer than tennis balls because of lower internal pressure and are marginally smaller.
Watch this video with a brief explanation of padel:
Padel Clubs in Sydney
Sydney is the city where padel was first introduced to Australia in 2016 and now has three locations where you can go for a hit.
1. Indoor Padel Australia
Indoor Padel Australia (IPA) in Alexandria is currently the largest padel club in the country, featuring eight indoor courts and two outdoor courts.
The club is located in the heart of Sydney, easily accessible by car and only moments away from Mascot train station.
Besides private court bookings, IPA organises weekly social sessions for beginners and advanced players, tournaments, and coaching sessions.
| Address: | Building 1, 85 O’Riordan St, Alexandria NSW |
| More info: | Indoor Padel Australia |
2. Sydney Racquet Club
Adjacent to the show ring in the Entertainment Quarter in More Park, Sydney Racquet Club is Sydney’s newest padel and pickleball club.
Sydney Racquet Club welcomes players of all skill levels and offers beginner classes and coaching sessions to get you started.
| Address: | 17 Park Rd N, Moore Park NSW |
| More info: | Sydney Racquet Club |
3. Padel Sydney North Ryde
Padel Sydney is the first established padel club in Sydney and in Australia, currently located within the grounds of Tennis World in North Ryde.
The club is home to four outdoor courts and offers memberships with social sessions for all levels, drills, coaching, and court bookings.
| Address: | 16-18 Epping Rd, North Ryde NSW |
| More info: | Padel Sydney North Ryde |
Padel Clubs in Australia
Outside Sydney, there are currently seven locations where you can go to play a game of padel.
1. Sol Padel
Sol Padel is the first regional padel club in Australia, located next to the Thurgoona Golf Club in Albury.
This small and social club offers three outdoor padel courts, an onsite coach, a licensed bar and cafe, change room facilities, and an accessible bathroom.
| Address: | 16 Evesham Pl, Thurgoona NSW |
| More info: | Sol Padel |
2. Padel Gold Coast
The Gold Coast in Queensland is currently home to one padel club, located within the KDV Sport complex on Nerang Broadbeach Rd in Carrara.
This fun club offers an affordable monthly membership with unlimited court hire, social nights, tournaments, and discounted coaching sessions.
| Address: | 221 Nerang Broadbeach Rd, Carrara QLD |
| More info: | Padel Gold Coast |
3. Nordic Padel Tullamarine
Nordic Padel in Tullamarine is a large indoor padel club with four standard courts and one single court.
The club has a very welcoming atmosphere, regularly organises tournaments and social events, and offers coaching for all skill levels.
| Address: | 10-12 Carrick Dr, Tullamarine VIC |
| More info: | Nordic Padel Tullamarine |
4. Game4Padel Docklands
Based in Docklands with lovely water views as a bonus, Game4Padel offers five padel courts (and three pickleball courts) under high roofs, which means you’re playing outdoors while also being protected from the elements.
In addition to social events and club nights, players can book courts at Game4Padel through the internationally used Playtomic app.
| Address: | 206 Lorimer St, Docklands VIC |
| More info: | Game4Padel Docklands |
5. Game4Padel Richmond
Game4Padel has a second venue in Richmond, inside the Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre on River Boulevard.
This club offers two padel courts and three pickleball courts, all located within the shopping centre.
| Address: | Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, River Blvd, Richmond VIC |
| More info: | Game4Padel Richmond |
6. Padel Perth Reabold
Padel Perth Reabold is located in the Reabold Tennis Club in Floreat in Western Australia and is home to three outdoor state-of-the-art padel courts.
The club puts the emphasis on social, and offers regular social padel sessions for all skill levels, team-building events, coaching sessions, leagues and tournaments, and casual court hire.
| Address: | 24 Oceanic Dr, Floreat WA |
| More info: | Padel Perth Reabold |
7. PadelWest Perth
Part of the Melville Palmyra Tennis Club, PadelWest is a small and friendly padel club with two outdoor courts.
The courts are available for hire from 7 am to 10 pm, seven days per week, and the club also organises social and coaching sessions.
| Address: | Cnr Canning Hwy and Stock Rd, Melville WA |
| More info: | PadelWest Perth |
