How Enrique Corcuera Invented Padel: The Story of the First Court
Heritage · Updated June 2026
Enrique Corcuera invented padel in Acapulco in 1969 by building an enclosed court within the walls of his hillside home in Las Brisas. Rather than flatten the garden to fit a tennis court, he worked with the space — surrounding a 20×10m playing area with walls that became part of the game. The result was a sport defined by rebounds, angles and social doubles play.
A home in Acapulco that inspired innovation
The first padel court did not emerge from a sports laboratory or a design committee. It was carved into the hillside of Corcuera's residence in Las Brisas, Acapulco, surrounded by terracotta walls, vegetation and uneven terrain.
Corcuera saw opportunity where others saw obstacles. Rather than flattening the garden, he embraced its boundaries — enclosing a space that encouraged rebounds, angles and longer exchanges. In doing so, he shaped the essential identity of the sport: compact, tactical, and social from the very first point.
Designing the first enclosed court
Corcuera formalised the dimensions of the first padel court:
- 20 metres long, 10 metres wide — the same standard used worldwide today
- Surrounded by walls and mesh fencing on all sides
- A central net matching tennis height conventions
What began as a practical measure to prevent balls escaping into neighbouring gardens quickly became the defining feature of the sport. Rebounds introduced new tactical possibilities. Angles created creative shot-making. Rallies became longer and more accessible for players of all ages — including those who had never picked up a tennis racket.
What made the design so durable
- The walls extended rallies by keeping the ball in play after a bounce — more fun, less frustrating for beginners
- The smaller court meant four players could share the space naturally — the doubles format followed logically
- The underarm serve was safer on the compact court and more accessible than a full tennis overhead
- The enclosed space created intimacy — players face each other across a net with nowhere to hide, which encourages communication, tactics and team play
Creating the original rules of padel
To give structure to the new game, the first rules were written by Viviana Corcuera, Enrique's wife, as a birthday gift. Scoring followed tennis tradition, but gameplay embraced innovation:
- The walls remained in play after the ball bounced
- Rallies could be extended through glass rebounds
- Paddles were solid and perforated rather than strung
- The game relied on timing, positioning and angles rather than pure power
These principles form the DNA of modern padel, and still define the sport at every level — from social club nights in Nottingham to the Premier Padel tour in Madrid.
A sport that captured the imagination
When Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe visited Corcuera's home in Acapulco, he immediately recognised the appeal of the game. He took it to Spain in 1974, building courts at the Marbella Club and introducing padel to the European social club scene. From there, the sport spread rapidly — first through private clubs, then public venues, then international federations.
Everything traces back to that first court in Acapulco. Every match played today — from beginner mix-ins to professional tournaments — uses the same basic dimensions and design logic that Corcuera built into the hillside of his home over fifty years ago.
- Enrique Corcuera: who invented padel and why
- Where did padel come from? The full Acapulco origin story
- New to padel? Start with the complete beginner guide
Wear the heritage
The Autograph Originals range honours Enrique Corcuera and the 1969 Acapulco first court.
Frequently asked questions
How did Enrique Corcuera invent padel?
Corcuera built an enclosed court within the existing walls of his hillside home in Acapulco in 1969. By incorporating the walls into the game — allowing the ball to rebound off them after a bounce — he created an entirely new sport distinct from tennis.
Why is the padel court 20×10 metres?
Those were the dimensions Corcuera used for his first court, based on the available space at his Acapulco home. The dimensions proved so well-suited to the game — compact enough to be social, large enough to require real movement — that they became the global standard.
What did Enrique Corcuera's court look like?
The original court was 20×10m, enclosed by walls and mesh fencing, with a central net. It was built into a hillside in Las Brisas, Acapulco, using the existing terracotta walls of the property as part of the playing area.
Who took padel from Mexico to Spain?
Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe visited the Corcuera home, fell in love with the game and built courts at the Marbella Club in Spain in 1974 — the first padel facility in Europe.