Padel Is Having a Moment Around the World, and We’re Joining the Rally

Badminton rackets are making way for palas or padel rackets. Even seasoned golfers are finding themselves drawn to the sport’s glass-walled courts. Padel is said to have originated almost 60 years ago in Mexico, but has been experiencing a global boom in the last few years. Padel fever has reached such a point that people are packing their bags and travelling primarily to play the sport. At the Secret Serve Party, in Seychelles, hosted by Krishan Anand, founder of Secret (SxP), 30 strangers from across India were invited. The only thing they had in common was a shared obsession for the game.

Ready to Serve

Over four days, life revolved around the court. Groups of four rotated across courts as the first rays of the sun lit up the Indian Ocean. Evening rallies unfolded beneath skies streaked in shades of pink and gold. But what inspired Anand to host a serve party? Anand says he first discovered padel in London when he had no interest in the sport whatsoever. He only showed up because a friend needed a fourth player, which, he believes, is the reason most people play their first game.

Sixty minutes later, he walked off the court and into a pub for drinks with the new friends he made on court. For Anand, the sport can be a door to forming new relationships. It took him five countries before he found the perfect venue for the Serve Party at Sainte Anne, an island in Seychelles. He wanted a property that ruled out transfers, public courts, and booking sheets, and where everything was within walking distance. Club Med at Sainte Anne, a granite island nestled within a marine national park, is a short drive from Mahé airport followed by a 15-minute boat ride. The resort has four padel courts and, as Anand likes to put it, “with one court, the schedule runs the guests; with four, the guests run the day.” 

At the Serve Party, the day unfolded at my own pace. I could enjoy a leisurely breakfast, wander around the property, take a swim, and hop on to a buggy and head to the courts. My court slots were booked in advance, so I didn’t feel the need to rush.

The Island Rally

As someone who plays padel on and off, I was excited to finally experience playing alongside more seasoned players than I. Leading our padel sessions were coaches Chifumi Sato from Japan (currently ranked Asia’s No. 5 female padel player) and Fernando Lacasa Muñoz, who coaches at the Valencia Padel Academy in Spain.

Sato, whose clientele includes celebrities primarily from Indonesia, says, “They enjoy not just the sport but also the entire lifestyle surrounding it. Players often coordinate their outfits and even bring photographers to capture the experience. For them, padel is both a sport and a lifestyle.” Muñoz explains, “With sports like tennis or badminton, beginners often struggle to sustain rallies, which can be discouraging. In padel, you can start having fun almost immediately.” Suveer Bajaj, partner at SxP and co-founder of FoxyMoron and Zoo Media, believes padel’s rise in India comes down to two key factors.

“The first is accessibility. Compared to sports like tennis, badminton, or squash, padel requires less strength, speed, stamina, and technical skill to get started. This makes it more approachable,” he says. The second, Bajaj adds, is the social aspect. “Padel is always played as doubles, so it’s inherently a social sport. Most people book courts in advance, making every game an occasion rather than something spontaneous. You coordinate with friends, spend a couple of hours together, and enjoy healthy competition over plenty of conversation and banter.” 

The New Meeting Room

I arrived knowing almost no one and over three days, I made several new connections all with a pala in hand.

Among those who had travelled for the serve party was celebrity chef Saransh Goila, who has been playing padel for about 18 months. I asked Goila whether he sees the court becoming the new boardroom. He says, “Funnily enough, today someone offered to open a restaurant with me in Hyderabad after we played together!” By the end of the padel bash, I no more looked at the sport as just another fast-growing trend. In a world where we’re all chasing better health and better connections, padel delivers both.