Padel Injuries: Rates, Prevention, Recovery and Warning Signs

How common are padel injuries?

Recent recreational studies report between 2.81 and 5.4 injuries for every 1,000 hours of play. That equals one reported injury for roughly every 185 to 356 hours of group exposure.

This does not mean every player will get injured after a set number of hours. Some players have several injuries, while others have none. The studies also use different definitions, recall periods and recruitment methods.

A 2023 systematic review included eight studies and 2,022 players. It reported three injuries per 1,000 training hours and eight injuries per 1,000 matches. The authors warned that the estimate was based on limited research.

The wording matters. The original review used hours for training and matches for competition. Those figures should not be divided to claim that matches are exactly 2.7 times more dangerous.

A newer 2026 scoping review examined 14 studies involving 3,581 players. It confirmed the broad injury pattern but found that most studies were retrospective, cross-sectional and dependent on players remembering past injuries.

What have recent padel injury studies found?

The wide percentages do not show that padel suddenly became safer or more dangerous between studies. A six-month injury question, a one-year question and a lifetime question measure different things.

Santiago Navarro-Ledesma, a physiotherapy researcher at the University of Granada and co-author of the 2026 review, and his colleagues found “scarce padel-specific data on treatment strategies.”

Most recovery advice must therefore combine the available padel research with established clinical guidance for elbow, shoulder, Achilles and ankle injuries.

What are the most common padel injuries?

The exact order changes between studies. The Belgian survey found that 53.5% of injuries affected the lower body. The French study found the calf and Achilles complex at 18.8% and the elbow at 18.5%. The Portuguese study recorded elbow injuries at 18%, ankle injuries at 16.6%, knee injuries at 12.5% and shoulder injuries at 10.5%.

Why does padel cause these injuries?

Padel combines short accelerations, hard stops, lunges, lateral movement, backward movement and repeated overhead shots. The confined court gives players little time to adjust their feet when the ball changes direction after hitting the glass.

The solid racket has no strings to absorb and return energy in the same way as a tennis racket. Poor contact, a tight grip and repeated wrist or forearm work can raise the load on the elbow. Reviewing your padel technique is often more useful than changing gear first.

Smashes, bandejas and víboras repeatedly place the hitting arm overhead. Shoulder movement studies have found large ranges of rotation during padel strokes. Poor timing or limited shoulder control can shift more work to the rotator cuff, biceps and elbow.

The lower body absorbs repeated braking and direction changes. Shoes with too little traction can slip. Shoes that grip too aggressively for the court can make the foot stick while the body turns. A slippery padel grip has a similar effect on the hitting arm, because players squeeze harder to keep control.

Fatigue was the most commonly reported contributing factor in the Portuguese study, accounting for 24.1% of player explanations. This was self-reported, but it fits the pattern seen late in matches when footwork becomes slower and technique starts to break down.

Are most padel injuries sudden or gradual?

Both occur, but they tend to affect different tissues.

The 2025 Chilean study found that 56.2% of reported injuries developed gradually and 43.8% happened suddenly. Tendon injuries had a gradual onset in 77.1% of cases. Ligament injuries had a sudden onset in 70% of cases.

Gradual problems often begin as mild elbow pain, Achilles stiffness, shoulder discomfort or lower-back tightness. Players keep playing because the pain settles after warming up. It then returns later that day or the following morning.

Sudden injuries are easier to recognise. The ankle rolls, the calf tears, the knee twists or the player takes a direct hit from a ball or racket.

How can you tell normal soreness from an injury?

Use the next-morning check. If a painful area is more sensitive, stiffer or weaker the morning after padel, the previous session probably exceeded its current capacity.

Reduce the next session rather than repeating the same load and hoping the pain disappears.

How can padel injuries be prevented?

No padel-specific injury-prevention programme has yet been tested well enough to promise a percentage reduction. Current research points to progressive playing volume, movement-based warm-ups, strength work, balance training, technique coaching and suitable equipment.

Broader sports research supports strength training and neuromuscular warm-ups, but those results should not be presented as padel trial results.

Build playing time gradually

New players often increase frequency, match length and intensity at the same time. Change one variable at a time.

For example, increase from one weekly match to two while keeping the match length similar. Give your body time to adapt before adding a tournament or another hard session. Newer players can also work through the padel tips for beginners before adding volume.

After illness, injury or a long break, start below your previous volume. Fitness can return faster than tendon and joint tolerance.

Use this ten-minute padel warm-up

A warm-up should prepare the movements you are about to perform. It does not need to leave you tired.

Strength train twice a week

A basic padel strength programme should cover:

• Straight-knee and bent-knee calf raises
• Split squats or lateral lunges
• Single-leg balance and reach exercises
• Rows and shoulder external rotation
• Wrist extension, pronation and supination
• Trunk rotation control, such as cable or band presses

Choose four to six exercises and build the resistance slowly. Technique comes before heavy weight. Many of these fit into padel training at home.

A sports-wide meta-analysis of strength-based injury-prevention trials found a relative injury risk of 0.34 compared with control groups. These were not padel trials, so the exact reduction cannot be promised to padel players.

Fix technique before adding power

Late contact, a long tennis-style swing, squeezing the handle and hitting overhead shots without using the legs can shift load into the elbow and shoulder.

A coach can often see the cause faster than the player can feel it. The Portuguese study found an association between individual instructor supervision and lower odds of elbow injury. That does not prove coaching prevented every injury, but technique is a sensible place to check when pain keeps returning.

Match the equipment to the player

A racket that feels too heavy, too head-heavy or difficult to control can make the arm tire sooner. Grip thickness also changes how hard the hand and forearm work.

There is no single safe racket shape or weight for every player. Use the racket chooser as a starting point and judge the setup by control, comfort and symptoms.

Choose padel shoes that fit securely and suit the specific court surface. Replace shoes when the outsole is worn, the upper no longer holds the foot or the cushioning has collapsed.

Consider eye protection

A Swedish medical-record study examined 255 patients who needed care for sports-related eye injuries between 2017 and 2021. Padel caused 20% of those cases and became the leading cause in that county by 2021. The ball caused almost every padel eye injury, and 4% had severe consequences with a risk of long-term complications.

Ophthalmology researcher Teresa Kasiga and biomedical researcher Tomas Bro concluded that “protective eyewear could be recommended.”

Use sports eyewear with impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses. Ordinary glasses are not designed to protect the eye from a fast ball.

What should you do immediately after a padel injury?

Stop playing if the pain is sharp, changes your movement or causes weakness or instability. Continuing can turn a manageable injury into a longer absence.

For an acute sprain or strain:

• Protect the injured area from further impact or twisting.
• Use compression and elevation if they ease the swelling and discomfort.
• Once a serious injury has been ruled out, start gentle, pain-limited movement.
• Put weight through the limb only as far as it's comfortable.
• Get assessed if you can't use the limb normally.

Cold can reduce pain for some people. Use a cloth barrier and short applications if it helps. Cold does not diagnose the injury or rebuild strength.

Do not use pain relief to hide symptoms and finish the match. Ask a pharmacist or clinician about medication if needed, especially if you have other conditions or take regular medication.

How should tendon injuries be treated?

Elbow, Achilles and shoulder tendon problems usually need a temporary reduction in aggravating load followed by progressive resistance exercise.

Complete rest can settle symptoms, but it also lowers the tendon’s capacity. Returning from total rest straight into full matches often brings the pain back.

Current clinical guidelines for lateral elbow tendinopathy, midportion Achilles tendinopathy and rotator cuff tendinopathy place active rehabilitation and progressive loading near the centre of care.

A clinician may build a programme that includes:

• Isometric exercise when movement is painful
• Slow resistance work
• Eccentric and concentric strengthening
• Grip, calf or shoulder endurance
• Sport-specific loading
• Gradual return to faster movements and full strokes

The exercise choice depends on the diagnosis and stage of recovery. Achilles pain near the heel bone may need a different approach from pain in the middle of the tendon.

How should an ankle sprain be treated?

An ankle sprain needs more than waiting for the swelling to disappear.

The 2021 clinical practice guideline for lateral ankle sprains recommends external support such as a brace or tape when appropriate, progressive weight bearing and structured exercise. Rehabilitation can include ankle movement, strength, balance and neuromuscular training.

A brace can help protect the ankle, but it does not replace rehabilitation. Players who return without restoring balance and confidence may continue to feel the ankle give way.

More severe sprains may need a short period of immobilisation and medical supervision.

When does a padel injury need urgent medical care?

A minor-looking eye injury can still damage structures inside the eye. Do not rub the eye or return to play until vision is normal and a serious injury has been ruled out.

How do you know when it is safe to play again?

A date on the calendar cannot prove that an injury has recovered. The joint or tendon needs enough capacity for padel.

Before returning, check:

These checks follow the same broad areas as the PAASS return-to-sport framework developed by 155 sports-health professionals for ankle sprains: pain, ankle function, athlete confidence, balance and sport performance.

Return in stages:

1. Warm-up, footwork and shadow strokes
2. Controlled rallies with limited court coverage
3. A shorter practice session
4. A full practice session
5. A match
6. Several matches or a tournament

Move back a stage if pain, swelling or stiffness is worse later that day or the next morning.

What does the research still not tell us?

Most padel injury studies ask players to remember injuries from the previous six months, year or playing career. Recall is imperfect.

Researchers also disagree on what counts as an injury. Some record any pain. Others count only problems that stop a player from training or competing.

There are no strong padel-specific trials showing that one warm-up, shoe, racket or rehabilitation programme prevents a set percentage of injuries. Associations involving age, playing side, racket setup, warm-ups and experience still need prospective testing.

The safest claims are narrower:

• Elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle, calf, Achilles and lower-back problems keep turning up across the studies.
• Tendon and muscle injuries make up a large share of what gets reported.
• Gradual overload and a sudden sprain call for different responses, so don't treat them the same way.
• Progressive strength and movement training has backing from broader sports and clinical research, even without padel-specific trials.
• Eye injuries deserve more attention than they currently get.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common padel injury?

The elbow is the most frequently reported upper-body injury site across padel reviews. Calf and Achilles injuries, ankle sprains, knee injuries, shoulder pain and lower-back pain also show up regularly. Which body area tops the list shifts between studies and player groups.

How likely are you to get injured playing padel?

Recent recreational studies report roughly 2.81 to 5.4 injuries per 1,000 hours of play. Annual surveys found 36.5% of Belgian players and 52% of French players reported at least one injury, but the different study methods mean you can't line those two numbers up directly.

How long does a padel injury take to heal?

The Belgian recreational study found a median recovery time of 30 days, with an interquartile range of 15 to 60 days. That figure blends different injury types together and won't predict your own recovery. A mild strain, a tendon problem, a ligament injury and a fracture all run on different clocks.

Can you keep playing with padel elbow?

Cut out or reduce the strokes that trigger the pain rather than grinding through it match after match. Early elbow pain often improves once you change the playing load, technique, grip or racket setup and start progressive forearm strength work. Get assessed if grip strength drops, symptoms spread, numbness develops or the pain keeps coming back.

Is padel bad for your knees?

Padel isn't automatically bad for healthy knees, but it does demand a lot of stopping, turning and low defensive positions. Knee swelling, locking, instability or sharp pain after a twist needs assessment, not a shrug.

Does warming up prevent padel injuries?

No trial has measured what a specific padel warm-up does to injury rates. Research from other court and field sports backs movement-based neuromuscular warm-ups, and padel studies link better warm-up habits to having supervision. A warm-up is still a cheap way to get your body ready for match movements.

What shoes help prevent padel injuries?

Pick shoes that fit securely and give you the right amount of traction for the court surface. Too little grip and you slip. Too much grip and your foot stays planted while your body turns, which is its own problem. No study has pinned down one sole pattern or shoe model that prevents padel injuries across the board.

Should padel players wear protective glasses?

Protective sports glasses make sense, especially if you've had previous eye surgery, have reduced vision in one eye, or worry about close-range impacts. Use impact-resistant polycarbonate sports eyewear, not your regular glasses.

When should you see a physiotherapist?

Get a professional assessment when pain changes how you move, lasts across several sessions, returns every time you play, or brings weakness, instability or reduced range. Get urgent care for major swelling, inability to bear weight, a suspected rupture, neurological symptoms or any change in vision after a hit to the eye.

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