Millions of people all around the world participate in the racquet sports of padel and tennis. While there are some parallels between these sports, there are also some glaring differences that separate them. We’ll talk over some of the key distinctions between tennis and padel in this blog.
Court Size and Surface
One of the most noticeable differences between padel and tennis is the court size and surface. A padel court is smaller than a tennis court, measuring just 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. In contrast, a tennis court is 23.77 meters long and 8.23 meters wide. The padel court is enclosed by glass or mesh walls, while a tennis court is open.
Additionally, the surface of the two courts differs. A padel court is made of artificial turf, while a tennis court can be made of various surfaces such as clay, grass, or hard court. This difference affects the game’s speed and the ball’s bounce, with padel being a faster-paced game due to the ball’s lower bounce.
Scoring System
Another significant difference between padel and tennis is the scoring system. In tennis, players need to win six games to win a set, and they need to win two or three sets to win a match. Each game is scored starting at “love” (zero) and goes up to 40. Players must win by a margin of two points, and if the score reaches 40-40, the game is called “deuce,” and the player must win two consecutive points to win the game.
In contrast, padel uses a different scoring system. Players need to win six games, but the scoring system is similar to that of squash. Each point won is added to the player’s score, and the game is played up to 11 points. However, the player must win by two points, and if the score reaches 10-10, the game continues until one player has a two-point lead.
Serving
Serving in padel and tennis is also different. In tennis, the server must stand behind the baseline and serve diagonally into the opposite service box. The server gets two attempts to serve, and if they miss both, it is called a “double fault,” and they lose the point.
In padel, however, the serve is underhand, and the server must stand behind the baseline and serve underarm onto the opposite court. The ball must bounce once in the server’s box and once in the receiver’s box before it can be hit. If the ball hits the net and lands in the correct box, it is called a “let,” and the serve is repeated.
Tennis and padel have some similarities, however, they also differ greatly from one another. These are only a few examples of how these two sports differ, along with court size and surface, scoring, and serving.
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