Jakarta (ANTARA) – Since DKI Jakarta introduced an entertainment tax for padel sports, this type of sport has once again attracted public attention. Besides that, its popularity is increasing as many Indonesian artists practice it regularly, giving it the nickname “celebrity sport”.
Padel is a type of racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. At first glance, the way of playing is similar to tennis, but padel has its own rules and techniques that make it unique and fun to play.
Read also: 7 essential equipment for playing padel: from rackets to special shoes
History of padel sport
The sport of padel was first created by the Mexican Enrique Corcuera in 1969, which means that this sport is more than 50 years old. At that time, Enrique called this sport “Paddle Corcuera”.
However, the global development of the sport began in Spain, the country that is the center of padel’s growth. In 1991, the official organization of the World Padel Federation (IPF) was founded in Madrid, Spain. Since then, the sport has continued to grow and become popular, especially in Europe and Latin America.
In Spain alone there are more than 20,000 padel courts and around 6 million players, making it one of the most loved sports in the country.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, padel became known around 2020. However, in 2025 there has been an increase in the popularity of the sport, especially among young people and public figures who often share padel activities on social media.
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How to practice padel sport
Padel is played by two pairs of players or doubles format. The game takes place on a special court, smaller than a tennis court, measuring approximately 10×20 metres. The paddle court is also surrounded by glass and wire walls.
Below are the basic rules for playing padel:
- The game begins with a coin toss to determine which team will serve first.
- The service must be done with technique axillarywhere the ball must first bounce off the ground, then be hit from below the waist and directed diagonally into the opponent’s area.
- Scoring in padel follows the tennis system, i.e. 15–30–40. Generally the game is played in three sets.
In the rules for calculating the padel score, the team or couple that manages to win the first two sets will automatically be the winner. A set is declared a winner if it reaches 6 games and excel at least 2 games by his opponent.
So if both teams reach the same score of 40-40, that will happen two or a draw. Then, both teams have to fight for the top score again.
Below are some situations in which teams can score points in padel:
- The opponent’s ball hits the net or court barrier (such as a fence, wall, or other wall) before it can bounce into the opponent’s area.
- The opponent’s shot hits the player’s body directly, without first touching the surface of the court.
- The ball bounces twice into the opponent’s playing field before being hit again.
- After bouncing once into the opponent’s area, the ball went out of play and was not hit again.
- A player touches the ball with the racket more than once in one turn at bat.
Read also: Why is padel good for your health? These are the 7 main advantages
Advantages of padel sports
In addition to being popular and fun to play, padel also offers health benefits. With agile movements and quick hand-eye coordination, padel is great for maintaining physical and mental health.
Here are some of the health benefits of padel:
- Increases fitness and endurance
- Trains body coordination and balance
- Helps lose weight
- Increases the body’s resistance
- Reduces stress and improves mood
However, before starting to practice padel, it would be better to warm up the body, to avoid injuries and muscle tension.
Read also: Padel is increasingly popular, Menpora encourages it as a social sport
Prices of padel sports equipment
Padel requires special equipment, especially padel rackets that are different from tennis ones. Paddle rackets are shorter, without strings, have a solid surface with holes, and there is a special foam on the head of the racket.
The price of padel rackets is quite varied, for example the price of padel rackets for beginners generally starts from IDR 500 thousand to IDR 1 million. Meanwhile, the price of a professional racket can reach IDR 4.5 million or more, depending on the brand and material.
Furthermore, the balls used in padel are also different from the balls used in other racket sports. The texture of the padel ball is softer and the air pressure is also lower. The diameter of a padel ball varies from 6.35 cm to 6.77 cm.
Apart from this, players also need to rent a special paddle court, which is currently available in several major cities such as Jakarta and Bandung. Camp rental rates usually range from IDR 250 thousand to IDR 500 thousand per hour, depending on the facilities chosen.
Read also: When will the Padel Open tournament start on July 5th
Reporter: Putri Atika Chairulia
Publisher: Suryanto
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