Racket sports · 5 min
Padel vs pickleball vs tennis: which should you play?
How padel, pickleball and tennis compare on court size, gear, learning curve and players per court, so your group can pick the right game.
All three are net games played with a ball and a racket or paddle, but they suit different groups. Pickleball is the quickest to pick up, padel is the most sociable, and tennis rewards the most practice. Here is how they compare when you are deciding what to book.
At a glance
| Tennis | Padel | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|---|
Court | 23.77 × 10.97 m | 20 × 10 m, walled | 13.41 × 6.10 m |
Usually played | Singles or doubles | Doubles | Doubles |
Equipment | Strung racket, pressurised ball | Solid perforated racket, low-pressure ball | Solid paddle, plastic ball with holes |
Serve | Overhead | Underarm, after a bounce | Underarm |
Scoring | 15, 30, 40, game | Same as tennis | Games to 11, win by 2 |
Learning curve | Steepest | Gentle | Gentlest |
What a court typically costs
Typical hourly rates for the whole court, before any peak-hour pricing. Venues set their own prices, and you always see the full amount before you pay.
| Sport | Typical price | Players |
|---|---|---|
Tennis | ₱500/h | 2 or 4 |
Padel | ₱1,600/h | 4 (doubles) |
Pickleball | ₱400/h | 2 or 4 |
The court fee is shared by everyone on it, so compare the price per player, not per hour. Padel has the highest hourly rate, but it is almost always played by four, so each share is a quarter of it. Tennis costs least per player in doubles, and pickleball courts are usually the cheapest of the three to rent.
Tennis
Tennis has the biggest court and the most demanding technique, especially the serve. It rewards practice and works well for singles, which makes it easy to organise with one friend. Beginners often spend their first sessions collecting balls rather than rallying, so a few lessons with a coach make the start far more fun.
- Best for: players who want a long-term skill, singles, and anyone who already played as a child.
- Fitness: high in singles, with lots of sprinting and changes of direction.
- Watch out for: the heat on open-air courts at midday; book early morning or evening, or a covered court.
Padel
Padel is played in doubles inside glass walls, and the ball can be played off them after it bounces. The underarm serve and the solid racket mean long rallies from the first session. Tennis players adapt quickly but have to unlearn big swings: most points are won with placement and patience, not power.
- Best for: groups of four, mixed levels, and players who want a social game with a good workout.
- Fitness: moderate to high; short sprints and a lot of reaction play at the net.
- Watch out for: you need four players. If you are short, open your booking to other players at your level.
Pickleball
Pickleball uses a small court, a light paddle and a slow plastic ball. Most beginners are rallying within minutes, which makes it a good choice for mixed-age and mixed-ability groups, from teenagers to grandparents. The kitchen rule keeps big hitters from volleying at the net, so soft shots and patience matter as much as strength.
- Best for: families, mixed ages, and anyone who wants to play a real game in their first hour.
- Fitness: light to moderate, easy on the knees and shoulders.
- Watch out for: shared halls where pickleball lines are taped onto a badminton court; look for dedicated courts if you care about the net height.
The rules you need on day one
Tennis
You get two tries at each serve, which must land in the service box diagonally opposite. After that the ball may bounce once on your side before you hit it, or you can volley it before it bounces. A game goes 15, 30, 40, game, and at 40–40 (deuce) you need two points in a row.
Padel
Serve underarm, after bouncing the ball, at or below waist height, diagonally into the service box. The ball must bounce on the other side before it touches a wall. Once it has bounced, it may come off the back or side glass and you can still return it, and you may also play it off your own wall to get it back over the net. Scoring is the same as tennis.
Pickleball
Serve underarm and diagonally, and the ball must clear the kitchen. The two-bounce rule means the serve and the return must both bounce before anyone volleys. You may never volley while standing in the kitchen. In traditional scoring only the serving side wins points, and games go to 11, win by 2.
Which one should your group pick?
- Four friends who have never played a racket sport: pickleball, then try padel.
- Four friends who want a sweaty, social hour after work: padel.
- Two people who want to improve steadily over months: tennis, with a coach at first.
- A family with kids and grandparents: pickleball.
- Former tennis players looking for something new: padel.
Try all three
- Rent the gear instead of buying: rackets and paddles can be added to any booking.
- Book a beginner clinic to learn the rules and scoring quickly.
- Pick a venue that offers all three and rotate through them over a few weeks.
- Wear non-marking court shoes; running shoes grip poorly on padel turf and hard courts.