Tennis is arguably one of the most difficult sports to play today. Hence, the beginner-friendly version of padel has recently started to attract a large audience. Since it became a worldwide trend, we have seen a drastic increase in padel, with over 77,000 courts in 110-plus countries and over 35 million active players.
However, tennis still holds some fundamental edges over padel today. This is something that they can use to ensure that the sport doesn’t become as endangered as it is today. In this article, we will look at the key factors that lead beginners to choose tennis over padel.
1. Number of Surfaces
Padel courts are normally made of synthetic turf (artificial grass). It has fine silica sand, which makes it easy for the players to control the ball and prevent damage to their rackets. However, there is one surface that makes the game a bit one-dimensional.
The padel players need to adapt to just one surface, and once they are done with it, it’s all about playing and beating the best players. However, tennis doesn’t work like that. Tennis has 3 different surfaces (grass courts, hard courts, and clay courts). Previously, there were carpet courts as well, but they were removed due to increasing injury risks.
The three tennis surfaces bring more versatility. The grass court encourages you to make quick adjustments and finish points off quickly. Hard courts are the most common surface in tennis, which is where you build your base as a tennis player. Clay courts are all about grit and court coverage.
If you just improve yourself on one tennis surface, you are likely to have a one-dimensional game. For example, if you apply the clay court tactics on a grass court, you will get found out because defensive tennis doesn’t work on grass.
2. Versatile Style of Plays
Even if we exclude the surfaces, the style of plays is different regardless. One day, you can play a grinder who likes to extend the points. To nullify him, you might need to shorten the points by playing more serve and volley and taking time away from your opponent.
The other day, you can play someone who relies on his big serve. For that, you either protect your serve and wait for your chance in the tiebreak. Or, you look for the second serve opportunities to get into your opponent’s service games.
The third day, you can play someone who is an all-rounder with no real weaknesses. It would be like a boxing match, where you try to understand your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses before creating a game plan. All these different styles of play enhance your reputation as a tennis player.
In padel, there is only one way to play since the game is played on a single surface. Since the serve is normally the same for everyone, the points average double-figure shots. So the padel players know that going into the match, they have to grind in almost every second point.
In padel, there are no quick points. With the glass wall in play, any powerful shots invite trouble. Those powerful shots will come back with a similar speed as the glass wall will create a powerful deflection that will direct the ball towards your court side.
3. Weather Conditions
Beyond court conditions, the weather also has a huge impact. Since padel is played indoors, the weather outside doesn’t come into play as much. The padel clubs ensure that the air-conditioners are on, which allows the players to have a good feel on the court.
Tennis works both outdoors and indoors. Indoors, it is pretty much the same as padel, with no external air or heat coming into play. However, things change a lot when the game is played outdoors. If there are rainy conditions, the match is stopped immediately. If the stadium has a roof, they are given a specific time to put it in position so the match can be resumed. If there are no roofs, there is no action until the rain goes away.
Rainy conditions are always good for the losing player. The stoppage in play allows him to rethink his strategy and bring a renewed game plan. Moreover, the heat and humidity can also come into play. The balls fly much more during the daytime due to the heat, and they get heavier.
With the outdoor conditions bringing another element into the game, the examination of a tennis player is further complicated. If he passes that, he automatically becomes an even better tennis player.
Conclusion
Tennis is called the ‘King and Queen’ of racket sports for a reason. A successful tennis player can become a padel player because he understands the concept of grinding (clay court game). However, a padel player cannot function well as a tennis player (especially on fast surfaces). Moreover, the difficult nature of serving in tennis makes things even more awkward.
So, if the tennis hierarchies around the world want to protect their sport, there is still time to make things happen. This historic sport still has key advantages over these up-and-coming racket sports, so it’s important that they take drastic steps to protect the game’s base level.
