Why Are There No Singles in Padel?
If you’ve spent time in any padel club, you’ve probably noticed something unusual: almost nobody plays singles. Unlike tennis, where singles and doubles both exist, padel is almost entirely built around doubles. Official competitions, professional tours, and most clubs don’t even offer singles courts. So why is that? The truth is simple: padel was never designed for singles. The court size, the walls, the tactics, the flow of rallies, and even the social nature of the sport all point toward one thing—padel is meant to be played in pairs.
The Court and the Rules Naturally Favour Doubles
Padel’s history explains a lot. When Enrique Corcuera created the first padel court in Acapulco in 1969, he built it in a narrow space and designed it specifically for doubles play. The dimensions of a standard padel court—20 meters by 10 meters—are perfect for two players covering one side, but physically overwhelming for a single player. In singles, you would need to defend the full width, retrieve wall rebounds, chase smashes, and still attack the net alone. What ends up happening is that points become short, rallies break down, and the sport loses its signature rhythm. The walls are also harder to use effectively in singles. Many rebounds bounce too far to reach on time, smashes become nearly impossible to retrieve, and the famous back-glass shots lose their purpose. Doubles players can use anticipation, positioning, and shared coverage to keep rallies alive—something that simply doesn’t translate to one-on-one play. Without the teamwork element, padel becomes less strategic and far more physically demanding than intended.
Why Padel Works Better as a Social and Strategic Sport
One of the biggest reasons padel exploded worldwide is because it’s social. People enjoy padel not only for the sport itself, but for the experience: laughing at chaotic rallies, communicating with a partner, and being part of a small community each time they play. Doubles naturally creates connection, teamwork, and shared excitement, while singles would shift the atmosphere toward something more intense and less accessible. Doubles is also far more beginner-friendly. New players only need to cover half the court, can hide weaknesses, improve gradually, and enjoy longer rallies right away. In singles, beginners would struggle physically and mentally, leading to shorter points and more frustration. Even at the professional level, the entire sport is structured around doubles. Every major tour—Premier Padel, World Padel Tour, FIP events—focuses exclusively on pairs. Singles courts do exist, but they are rare and mostly used for training. Clubs also prefer doubles because it’s more efficient: four players per booking instead of two. For facilities with limited court space, promoting singles simply isn’t viable.
Can you still play singles in padel? Yes, if you want to. There are modified courts specifically designed for one-on-one play, and some players enjoy singles as a fitness drill. But as a mainstream format, singles will likely remain a niche option, because it doesn’t deliver the same excitement, strategy, or social appeal that makes padel what it is today. Doubles is the format where padel truly comes alive.
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