Orem, Utah — September 1, 2026
Pickleball has quickly spread across America as one of the most popular sports, but that isn’t exactly the standard across the globe. In Europe, a sport lesser known to Americans dominates the paddle sport space: padel.
Padel is slightly similar to pickleball, but with a few key differences. The courts are enclosed in glass boxes, which can be used in play for propelling the ball across the net to the opponent’s side. It’s played in doubles and scored the same as tennis, bringing it closer to comparison with racquet ball and tennis.
Padel was first played in Mexico in the late 1960s but has since slowly built its reputation across European countries over the years. Currently, it is the second most popular sport in Spain, with around 17,000 courts. But it’s about time it was brought here to America.
At least, that’s what Parker Quinlan thought, after first playing padel on a trip to Puerto Rico a couple years ago. He was instantly taken with the sport but found that at that time, there were no courts to be found in Utah, and that’s something Parker wanted to change. He and his brother formed a plan to open their own court in Utah County. After years of strategizing, he and his brother opened the Padel Den in April 2026.
Parker had two important goals in mind for this space; affordability and community. Most other American padel courts end up costing around $40-60 for an hour of play and wanted to make his courts more accessible by charging only $15 an hour. Plus, they run promotions such as a free first lesson and nightly open play, which costs $10 for two hours. But Parker also emphasized how padel is a very social sport; Parker wanted to create a space where you could bring friends or come alone to meet people. To stay engaged in the community, the Padel Den runs community events such as Pizza and Padel Night every Wednesday.
Padel is the fastest growing sport worldwide, now with over 30 million amateur players worldwide. Padel is projected to see a massive increase in the United States, with online sales for padel equipment in the U.S. have been increasing. While currently the U.S. only has 1,000 padel courts, by 2030 its projected the U.S. will have between 20,000-30,000 courts. Celebrities are also beginning to speak up about their interest in padel: Jimmy Fallon included a sketch on The Tonight Show where he argues with a member of his band about why padel is more fun than pickleball and Tom Holland and F1 driver Charles Leclerc have expressed in interviews their frequent play and love for the sport.
As more of a watcher of sports than a player, I was curious how I might fare playing padel. I asked Parker to show us how to play and was surprised to find how much fun I was having. I learned how to serve, stroke, and even practiced using the glass back wall. One thing that has made pickleball so popular in America is its accessibility it’s effectively a way to play tennis without as much physical demand and skill. For this reason, pickleball is great for older people and amateur athletes. What I like about padel is how it’s similarly approachable but amps it up just a bit more. I don’t think you necessarily have to be in top shape to play this game, but it still requires mobility and exertion enough to make it a worthwhile workout. Parker mentioned how he’d played a game earlier in the day and walked away drenched in sweat, but the game we played was casual and easy going. It has the capability of being something high octane or casual fun, depending on how you choose to play it.
The glass walls also add a fun element that I find to be missing from pickleball: the ability to use the wall behind you to propel the ball to your opponent’s side or come up with other creative ways to score your point is part of the fun. And what’s more, there’s a lot of freedom with play. The two most fundamental rules of the game are that the ball cannot hit the walls before the ground, and if it bounces on your side more than once it’s the opponent’s point (just like tennis). With these simple restraints, there’s so much room to play creatively and stretch your limits. Parker even showed us some videos of professional Padel players. When the ball was hit above the walls out of the court, the opposite player could leave the court to try to hit the ball back within the court boundaries. This simplicity and freedom make the flow of the game consistent, continuous and promote inventive ways to play.
These tangible elements of the game are what sets it apart from similar sports. The opportunity to come up with creative plays, the freedom to try different methods and techniques, with coordination and strategizing with teammates is all very well balanced in Padel.
Now’s the time to hop on the Padel train, as it’s leaving the station fast! Drop by the Padel Den for a free first lesson or a community event. Bring friends or come alone and make some! It’s affordable for students, close by, and a great way to stay active and socialize.
