Haven't heard about padel? That's ok. A couple of years ago, we hadn't either. Now we're in love, like millions of others around the world. What's all the fuss about then, you might wonder?

Basics first. Imagine if tennis and squash were two perfectly sensible parents and padel was their fun and friendly – sometimes misunderstood – lovechild. It's played in doubles, on a court about a quarter the size of a tennis court and surrounded by glass walls. The ball can be played off the walls, making the game somewhat forgiving. Even your grandpa will feel like a champ, while also getting a sense of endless potential for improvement. Bring three friends, your fam or play with randoms – either way, you'll get your daily dose of social and sweat!

Spain and Argentina are the largest padel nations in the world. However, in recent years the sport has grown rapidly, picking up new padel fanatics in countries right across the globe. In Sweden, where we're based, the explosion of the sport has been so extreme that the hardest part can sometimes be scoring any court time at all. We’ve even seen instances where people began hacking booking systems using specially developed bots. You get the point though – it's a popular sport in a totally different league.

If you haven’t had a hit yet, what are you waiting for? If you’re already hooked, see you on court!