Racket sports are having a moment, and three names come up again and again: padel, tennis and pickleball. They look similar from a distance — a net, a racket, a ball — but they play completely differently. If you're deciding which to try, here's the honest, plain-English breakdown.
The quick comparison
| Padel | Tennis | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court | Small, enclosed by glass walls | Large, open | Small, open |
| Walls in play? | Yes — a defining feature | No | No |
| Racket | Solid, stringless, perforated | Strung racket | Solid paddle |
| Ball | Like a tennis ball, less pressure | Pressurised tennis ball | Perforated plastic "wiffle" ball |
| Usually played | Doubles | Singles or doubles | Singles or doubles |
| Scoring | Tennis scoring (15/30/40) | Tennis scoring (15/30/40) | Points to 11, win by 2 |
| Ease to learn | Easy — fun fast | Hard — steep curve | Very easy |
Padel: the social all-rounder
Padel is played in doubles on an enclosed court where the glass walls are part of the game — you can play the ball off them, squash-style. The racket is solid and stringless, the serve is gentle and underarm, and rallies are long and tactical. The magic is that it's genuinely easy to pick up — you'll have fun rallies in your first session — but deep enough to play for life. It's also brilliantly social, which is a big reason it's exploding across the UK and Europe.
Tennis: the classic, but the steepest climb
Tennis is the grandparent of the three — bigger court, more ground to cover, a strung racket and a proper overhead serve. It's a fantastic sport, but the learning curve is steep: it takes real time before rallies feel rewarding, and singles is physically demanding. If you've got the patience and want the classic challenge, tennis delivers.
Pickleball: the easiest entry
Huge in the US and growing here, pickleball is played on a small open court with a solid paddle and a light perforated plastic ball. It's arguably the easiest of the three to start — gentle, low-impact and very sociable — though the smaller, lighter equipment gives it a different feel, and the ceiling is a bit lower than padel or tennis.
So which should you play?
If you want the best mix of easy-to-learn, endlessly fun and brilliantly social — and a sport with real depth to grow into — padel is the sweet spot. It rewards you from day one without demanding years of practice, and because it's doubles, it's as much a social night out as a workout. That combination is exactly why it's the fastest-growing sport in the country.
Tennis if you love the classic challenge, pickleball for the gentlest start — but padel if you want the most fun, fastest.
Convinced? Getting started is cheap and easy — all you need is a racket, some court shoes and a tube of balls. Our beginner's guide walks you through your first game.
