Touted as the world’s fastest growing sport, the game of padel originated in Latin America in niche circles before skyrocketing in popularity during the Covid pandemic. The home of Northern Ireland’s latest sporting phenomena is in Moira, called Padel 54. But what exactly is padel? “In a nutshell, it’s a hybrid between tennis and squash,” says Bradley Bate, owner and founder of Padel 54.
“It has the same scoring system as tennis but you’re surrounded, in a box. Each end of the court has a glass wall so that’s where the squash element comes in. “If ball bounces past you there’s still an opportunity to hit it off the glass, back to the other side.
The ball is in play a lot more than traditional tennis so you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck. It’s quite strategic, a bit like a chess match. “You can play singles but it’s more fun with four.
For people that may struggle to find more people to play with, that’s where the socials come in, so when we run them during the week it’s a good way to meet people.” Having played tennis before, and knowing all too well of its reputation, I walked into Padel 54 with expectations of regal sneers and snobbery at the new guy on the court — but this was far from the reality. Entering the facility, you’re greeted with a friendly smile from the reception desk and upbeat techno tunes echoing around the warehouse.
Still not entirely sure about what I was in for, I sheepishly made my way onto one of the roy.