Padel: The Trendiest Sport in Town

Padel is one of the most talked about sports in the country at the moment but will the sport’s seemingly unstoppable growth continue? 

Scotland is the latest suitor to fall in love with the world’s trendiest racquet sport. Invented in 1969 by former Miss Argentina winner Viviana Corcuera and her husband whilst visiting their holiday home in Acapulco, the sport is a hybrid of tennis and squash. Played in a doubles format in a smaller, enclosed tennis court, it is an inclusive and social route into sport, whilst maintaining a highly competitive edge.

The rise of padel tennis in Britain has exceeded all expectations, with the post-COVID desire to socialise driving the sport’s newfound popularity. In fact, padel is the fastest-growing sport in the UK after the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) recognised it as a discipline of tennis in November 2020. There has been a surge in the construction of public padel courts in Britain over the past few years, with over a thousand registered as of July 2025 compared to a measly 68 before the pandemic. 

North of the Tweed is no exception, with nearly 50 courts established by the likes of David Lloyd Clubs, Power League, and Game4Padel. Padel is seen to be a great boost for business, fulfilling sports centres’ desire to diversify. Jumping on the padel bandwagon seems a surefire way to increase gym subscriptions. 

Mushrooming padel popularity is not a trend exclusive to Britain; Sweden has experienced a hyper-rapid expansion of padel courts. The construction of padel courts grew by a whopping 1,000% during the pandemic years before the lifting of social distancing restrictions led to a huge crash in Swedish padel. Over 100 courts closed in 2022 as demand dwindled. Padel proved a flash-in-the-pan in Scandinavia. 

Although there are currently no padel courts in St Andrews, Fife Council has recently granted permission for the construction of three new courts at Cluny Activities Centre in Kirkcaldy. If padel continues on its road to becoming one of the most popular sports in the country, it surely won’t be long until the council or the University looks at installing padel facilities in St Andrews.

Recently constructed courts in Broughty Ferry remain the closest and most accessible for St Andrews students. The Saint made the trip across the Tay Bridge to the Forthill Sports Club last week to see what all the fuss is about. The courts were in high demand, and we arrived just in time for our hour-long afternoon session, the only available time slot for the courts on the day. After a high-intensity match, it is easy to see why so many people have caught the padel bug. 

Criticism is often levelled at padel’s relative inaccessibility, with the supply of courts unable to keep up with booming demand in this country and with prior planning a necessity to secure a spot on the court.  

While Forthill is relatively affordable at just £6 an hour per person, with racquets and balls included, the journey takes just over half an hour by car and more than double that to go by public transport, leaving only a small cohort of the town with realistic access to the courts. 

Recent calls have been made for St Andrews to construct padel courts in the face of the present boom, whether through the University or local businesses. The question is whether this love story is just another nine-day wonder, as in Sweden, or if the exponential growth of interest can be successfully sustained in the long term. 

Illustration by Abigail Svaasand