Padel, explained
How to say padel (it rhymes with paddle)
Not pa-DEL. In Australia it is said like paddle, PAD-ul. Where the name comes from and why the spelling confuses people.
It is said like paddle. PAD-ul. Not pa-DEL, and not paid-el.
Why the spelling confuses people
The word came to English through Spanish, where the sport grew up, and it is written *pádel* with an accent on the first syllable. That accent is doing the work the English spelling does not: it tells you the stress falls at the front. Drop the accent, as English usually does, and the word starts looking like "pastel" or "hotel", which is how pa-DEL happens.
What it is not
Padel is not paddle tennis, and not pickleball, though all three are racket sports with short solid bats and all three are growing quickly. Padel is the one with glass walls, played in doubles, scored like tennis.
How to use it in a sentence
"Do you want to play padel on Saturday?" said exactly as if you were offering someone a paddle. If you say it that way in Australia, everybody will understand you, including the people who have not played.
Where to play on the Gold Coast
Parkwood Padel Club has premium indoor courts in the Sports Precinct at Parkwood Village, 76-104 Napper Road, Parkwood QLD 4214, open 07:00 to 22:00 every day. Indoor means the weather never cancels a game. The club is opening soon and the opening date, court hire prices and the number of courts are still to be confirmed.
Book a court on MATCHi