Padel is Houston's trendy new racket sport
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Padel courts. Photo: Courtesy of Tempo
Houston is emerging as one of the biggest U.S. markets for padel, the racket sport that's rapidly spreading beyond its Latin American roots.
Why it matters: Club operators are betting on padel's popularity as pickleball's momentum slows.
Catch up quick: Padel, which originated in Mexico about 50 years ago, is typically played in doubles.
- The major difference from other racket sports like tennis or pickleball is that the courts are surrounded by glass or mesh walls that players use to bounce balls off of.
Fun fact: Houston helped introduce padel to the U.S. in 1994, when The Houstonian Club became the first club in the country to offer the sport, according to Mike May, its first padel instructor.
- May recalled making his own "Padel Court" sign and signing up members for free introductory lessons in the club's lobby.
- The club built two permanent courts in 1995, and padel is still played there today.
By the numbers: Texas has about 202 padel courts, second only to Florida's 297, according to court booking platform Playtomic.
- Houston ranks third among U.S. cities with 41 courts, just behind Austin's 42 and Miami's 192.
Zoom in: Tempo Padel & Pickleball Club, which opened in 2024 with five padel and four pickleball courts, is expanding.
- Founder Leonardo Penuela plans to open a second location at 8200 Washington Ave. in early 2027 with five outdoor padel courts.
- He's also considering converting some of the original club's pickleball courts into padel courts.
Between the lines: Padel can be pricier to play because its courts are larger and more expensive to build.
What they're saying: "I come from tennis, and padel is a little more fun and easier to play. It's more demanding than pickleball. But once you pick it up — it just takes a couple times — it's so fun," Penuela tells Axios.
- "Since you play with the glass, the wall, it adds an extra layer of dynamic and engagement to the game."
Pickleball craze peters out
Between the lines: Padel's rise comes as pickleball's rapid expansion slows.
- Pickleball courts across the nation's 100 largest cities grew 4% from 2025 to 2026, down from 13% the previous year, according to Playtomic.
Reality check: Pickleball is already deeply ingrained in Houston's sports scene, with at least 100 courts listed on Pickleheads.
The latest: Major League Pickleball announced this week that the Houston Hammers will join as the league's 21st team in 2027, with plans to host an event in the Houston area.
The bottom line: Racket sports remain the social activity of choice.