Padel in Morocco: a sport on the rise
First introduced in Mexico in 1969, padel quickly became a worldwide sensation, growing in popularity in Spain before later establishing itself in Morocco. This hybrid sport, which combines the principles of tennis and squash, is winning over more and more Moroccans. In just a few years, it has conquered the Kingdom’s business capital, Casablanca, and other cities across the country.
« Padel is a sport that is growing at great speed here in Morocco: we have more and more tournaments, almost every week, and a community that’s growing day by day. So, I personally think that padel is overtaking tennis here in Morocco», said Mehdi Saissi, padel player and coach.
A sport that continues to grow in popularity
It wasn’t until 2015-2016 that padel really took off, with the emergence of new sports complexes and increased awareness of the sport among Moroccans. What’s more, the pandemic acted as a catalyst for padel in Morocco.
The sport is gradually making its mark on the Moroccan landscape, to the point of transforming the face of many infrastructures: old courts converted, spaces redeveloped… the practice is gaining ground, both literally and figuratively.
Fun from the first exchanges
One of the main reasons for padel’s rapid success is its simplicity. Unlike tennis, which requires a certain technical mastery to be enjoyed, padel allows beginners to have fun from their very first exchanges.
« Any beginner can play. What’s more, it is a very social and fun sport. All it takes is a few short training sessions and a few lessons to start playing freely and having fun «, explained Zainab El Houari, padel player and winner of the RedMed premium padel tour.
The court, smaller than a tennis court (20 x 10 meters), fosters fast and spectacular exchanges, while being less physically demanding.
“ It is a game where you don’t need to be in a certain physical condition compared with tennis ”, added Zainab El Houari. The number of padel players has literally exploded since 2021, with a proliferation of padel courts across the country. The average cost of renting a court for an hour is 400 dirhams (USD 40) for a group of four players.
A sport gaining popularity
« Padel is enjoying a veritable explosion in popularity in the Kingdom. Being accessible, fun, and unifying, it appeals to all generations «, pointed out Kamel Slaoui, padel player and founder of P2M. « Since I arrived here three and a half years ago, the sport has changed completely. Padel has grown, and an increasing number of people are playing it. Thanks to people like Nacho Payán, Larbi Lahlou, and Kamal Slaoui, who are investing heavily in the growth of the sport, organizing major events, and offering quality training to players of all levels « , pointed out Bembo, Spanish padel player and winner of the RedMed Premium Padel tour.
Selma SAOULI
