PadelPadel vs Tennis: The Main Differences Compared
By Theo Diether · Published 23/07/2026 · 3 min read
Padel is often described as "tennis with walls" – which is only half the story. In fact the two sports differ in almost every detail: equipment, court, serve and even tactics. Here is the direct comparison.
At a glance
| Tennis | Padel | |
|---|---|---|
| Racket | approx. 68 cm, strung, 260–340 g | max. approx. 45.5 cm, no strings, 335–390 g |
| Ball | normal internal pressure | lower internal pressure, bounces lower |
| Court | 23.77 × 10.97 m, open | 20 × 10 m, enclosed by glass and mesh |
| Format | singles and doubles | practically doubles only |
| Serve | overhead | underarm, after a bounce |
| Scoring | 0–15–30–40 | identical, often with golden point |
The racket
Tennis
Approx. 68 cm long, strung hitting surface (97–105 sq in), 260–340 g.
Padel
Maximum approx. 45.5 cm long and 26 cm wide, no strings – instead a solid, perforated surface made of carbon/fibreglass with an EVA or foam core, 335–390 g.
This changes the feel of the game completely: no "trampoline effect" from strings, but more direct control. Which figures really matter for a padel racket is explained in our guide Buying a padel racket – what you really need to look for.
The ball
Both sports use balls of a similar size (padel: approx. 6.35–6.77 cm in diameter) – the crucial difference is the internal pressure. Padel balls have much less pressure than tennis balls and therefore bounce lower. A normal tennis ball hardly works on a padel court: it bounces too high and doesn't suit the smaller court.
The court
Tennis
23.77 × 10.97 m (singles narrower), with approx. 5 m of free run-off behind the baseline, an open court with no limit above.
Padel
Only 20 × 10 m – about a quarter of the area of a tennis court – completely enclosed by glass walls (4 m at the baselines, 3 m at the sides) and metal mesh.
This enclosure is the most important structural difference: after bouncing on the floor, the ball may also come off the wall and stays in play – details in the article Padel rules explained simply.
Singles or doubles?
Tennis has singles and doubles. Padel is played exclusively as doubles – two against two, four players in total on the court. There is an official singles format in the rules, but in practice almost nobody plays it.
The serve
Tennis
Overhead serve, hard and fast – aces are a fixed part of the game.
Padel
Underarm serve, and the ball has to bounce on the floor first. This makes aces extremely rare – the point usually starts with a fair rally rather than a contest of power.
Scoring
There is no difference here: 0–15–30–40 game, deuce/advantage at 40–40, sets to 6 games. In recreational and league play, padel is often played with the golden point as well (see the rules article).
Technique and tactics
Tennis thrives on pace, spin and aggressive baseline shots – the strings allow plenty of rotation on the ball. In padel, spin plays a much smaller role, but positioning at the net is decisive: because the ball can come back off the wall, rallies are often longer, and points are won more often through clever build-up than through pure power.
Is it worth switching from tennis to padel?
For most tennis players, yes – and usually even easier than the other way round. The scoring is identical, and groundstrokes (forehand, backhand, volley) transfer directly.
You mainly need to adjust to two things
The serve (underarm instead of overhead) and the wall play, which feels strange at first but is quickly learned.
If you (or your tennis kit) are ready for the switch: our Racket Finder recommends a suitable beginner model in 7 questions – more on the equipment side of the switch in the article Padel for beginners. Switchers from tennis get on best with a control-oriented racket: