Pickleball's 'rival' is accused of being a sport prone to infidelity.

Padel – the hottest sport in England – is being accused of ruining relationships.

Padel is the fastest-growing sport in Britain, promoted as healthy, addictive, and highly communal. However, an increasing number of players are discovering the dark side hidden behind it, according to the Daily Mail.

Padel is a sport that combines elements of tennis and squash, played with rackets on a glass-enclosed court. From a rather niche pastime in Europe, padel has now exploded into one of the biggest sporting crazes in Britain, attracting everyone from housewives and office workers to celebrities and even members of the royal family.

According to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), there are currently 1,825 padel courts at 551 locations across the UK, a significant increase from just 68 in 2019, serving around 1 million players. The sport continues to grow daily, with investors racing to build courts to capitalize on the opportunity.

Chris, a passionate padel fan, says the sport's appeal lies in its competitiveness, the speed of the game, and its ease of entry for beginners. There's also a social element, with dedicated apps making it easy for players to connect, while many clubs even have cafes or bars.

Padel is growing rapidly in the UK. Photo: Sergio Contreras Arcos/Pexels.

But behind the seemingly "friendly" padel matches lies a darker side: some people exploit padel for extramarital affairs. One anonymous woman revealed that after her boyfriend started playing padel, she discovered flirtatious messages between him and another player on the app.

"I realized he was only playing or competing with her. Then I discovered that he repeatedly said he was at the club but wasn't. He was just meeting her. Eventually, I confronted him and he admitted to having an affair," she said.

Another person admitted they use sports apps as dating apps, looking for attractive people to play with. This person said, "Apps like Hinge or Tinder are terrible now. At least this way you get to play the sport you like and have a chance to meet someone you click with or who sparks your interest."

Another woman said she was fed up with her boyfriend's padel obsession and shocked to see him lose his temper on the court. "I went to cheer him on, but was shocked to see him get into a violent argument with his opponent. He completely lost control, yelling over a single point. It was so embarrassing and toxic. I broke up with him shortly after."

On Reddit, there are also hundreds of posts from couples complaining that their partners are obsessed with or "addicted" to padel. Many believe that this sport has created distance in their relationships.

However, for many couples, padel is something that helps them bond more. One player said, "For me, it's completely positive because now my wife plays too."

The PadelxChill website, which specializes in organizing padel-themed vacations, also stated: "We've found that couples who make it through the initial stages often end up spending time together."

But it's not just the romantic aspects that draw criticism for padel. The darker side of the sport also includes bird deaths, noise pollution, and even concerns about diabetes.

In September 2025, residents living near the Alderley Edge Cricket Club in Cheshire complained to the local council about plans to convert the tennis court into a padel. They said the area would suffer "almost constant noise from morning till night, with sounds like gunshots and the shouting of players."

Residents are also concerned that the new courts will impact house prices. The plan is still under review by Cheshire East Council, and the club – which has been operating since 1870 – says it has adjusted many details to satisfy residents. Based on the reactions of other local councils, it is likely the courts will still be built.

In August 2025, the East Anglia Tennis and Squash Club planned to convert a tennis court into a padel court, but nearby residents objected, arguing that "the noise could affect mental health" because padel is noisier than other racket sports.

One resident even suggested that the noise from the padel could cause "psychological damage." Despite this, Norwich City Council ultimately gave the green light to the project.

In Grateley, a small Hampshire village of only about 700 people, when plans emerged to transform a section of a business park into a padel club, some residents even claimed the "unbearable" noise could cause them to develop type 2 diabetes, according to The Times.

Nevertheless, the local council granted permission for construction, and now PikPadel is becoming a vibrant hub of activity in the village.

Meanwhile, in Spain – where millions have played the sport for decades – another major "victim" is the birds. According to EuroWeekly , experts have noted an increasing number of birds flying into the almost invisible 10mm thick tempered glass surrounding the courts and dying on the spot. The NGO Grefa estimates that each padel in Spain causes around 135 bird deaths per year.

Source: https://znews.vn/doi-thu-cua-pickleball-bi-to-la-mon-de-ngoai-tinh-post1654095.html