Serve looks on and off the court. This is how we’re dressing for the A-list’s favourite sport.
With Grand Slam season coming to a close, our attention is turning to the newest sporting obsession: padel. Once a niche pastime, it’s quickly become as much a social scene as it is a sport – and we’ve realised that looking the part on court is almost as important as knowing how to serve.
Part tennis, part squash and social occasion, padel is the latest excuse to refresh your activewear wardrobe. Think pleated skirts, fitted polos, colour-blocked sets and retro-inspired jackets – pieces that look just as good grabbing a post-match coffee as they do mid-rally.
Whether you’re a seasoned player or, like us, still figuring out which end of the racket to hold, one thing is clear: padel has officially entered its fashion era. Here’s everything you need to know about the sport – and, more importantly, what we’re wearing to the court.
What is padel?
Think of padel as tennis’s more sociable younger sibling, with a little squash thrown into the mix. It’s played on an enclosed court roughly a third the size of a traditional tennis court, with the walls forming part of the game.
There’s no traditional stringed racquet either. Instead, players use a shorter-handled, solid-faced paddle and a slightly smaller, lower-pressure ball. Played predominantly in doubles and at a slower pace than tennis, padel is less about power and more about court placement – perfect for trying with friends, even if your sporting credentials are questionable.
And it’s not just a trend we’re watching unfold online. A-listers are obsessed too. David Beckham, Drake, Tom Holland and Serena Williams have all been spotted playing, while Eva Longoria has taken things a step further, co-owning a team competing in the Hexagon Cup, a professional padel tournament.
But where celebrities go, style inevitably follows. Suddenly, the question isn’t just whether you can return a serve, but whether your outfit will make the Instagram shot. Looking good, playing well – they go hand in hand right?
It’s no surprise then, that fashion and luxury brands are getting in on the action, releasing their own panel-inspired collections. And if you’re looking to spend a cool $2,230 on a racquet before your next match, Louis Vuitton has you covered.
But if you’re a first-timer who still wants to look chic (like us), here are our top picks for channeling celebrity-level padel style – both on and off the court.
