With Messi, Ronaldo and Alcaraz among its fans, padel debuts at Asian Games aiming for Olympics

NAGOYA, Sept 28 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Carlos Alcaraz are avid fans of padel, a fast-growing racquet sport that made its Asian Games debut on September 28 in Nagoya. This hybrid of tennis and squash on courts enclosed by glass walls is played by an estimated 38 million people and is working towards becoming a major global sport.

The sport was included as a medal event at the Asian Games after being added to the continent’s biggest sporting event. Philippines player Joshea Malazarte expressed her excitement about the inclusion, stating that padel is big in Europe but just beginning in her home country. Despite being relatively unknown in Japan, the sport drew curious spectators to the modest Higashi Sports Centre.

Although tickets were free, one spectator mentioned that the crowd was initially quiet. However, the excitement of the game brought the crowd to life. Padel, which originated in Latin America and has seen explosive growth in Europe in recent decades, is played in 170 countries and territories and has 85,000 courts worldwide. The sport is usually played as a doubles game and uses solid racquets, with courts much smaller than those in tennis.

IPF official Donatella Del Gaudio emphasized the importance of padel's inclusion at the Asian Games, saying that the sport is gaining popularity worldwide and is a step closer to the Olympics.