Before 2019, if you asked most people in Cyprus about padel, you’d likely get a blank stare. Fast forward just a few years, and you’ll find courts echoing with laughter, cheers, and the distinct thwack of a ball off glass. For Cyprus, it all started at a resort in Kouklia, Paphos, introducing the island’s very first padel courts. Soon, beach tennis enthusiasts picked up Padel's tune and brought it to the capital in 2020, What began as a curiosity quickly turned into a craze.
It didn’t take long for Cypriots to fall in love. The sport struck a perfect balance between fun and fitness. It looked like tennis, played like squash, and had a pace of its own. But more than that, it had a vibe. The court was small, the rallies were fast, and nobody cared how good you were. All that mattered is that you showed up with energy and a smile. And people did. In droves.
From novelty to movement
Padel didn’t knock politely on Cyprus’ door. It kicked it open, racket in hand. New courts popped up across the country, Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, and Protaras. What started in Paphos soon became a national affair.
This went beyond mere infrastructure. These clubs began to shape the island’s latest sports community. At Padel Syndicate in Limassol, players gather under lights for serious matches and post-game banter. My Q Padel Club, also in Limassol, offers covered courts so enthusiasts can play year-round, rain or shine.
In the capital, Eleon x Social Padel Club fuses tradition with modern facilities, drawing both tennis loyalists and padel converts. Padel Park in Larnaca thrives on its open, welcoming vibe. And in Protaras, Padel Bay at Capo Bay serves up games with sea views and salty air.
Each club tells its own story. But they’re all chapters in the same book, one that’s still being written, rally by rally.
The rise of competition and connection
It wasn’t long before friendly matches turned into full-blown tournaments. “Every match I play, it’s like the Premier Padel finals in terms of the passion and intensity I want to bring”, says Konstantinos Machattos of the Famagusta Padel Club.
“We’re all winners at tournaments. You connect, compete, and push yourself, and the boost to your mental health is huge”. Like many in Protaras, Konstantinos first picked up a racket at the Capo Bay courts and hasn’t looked back. What began as casual games quickly turned into a full obsession, with his team now playing at least three times a week. “Sometimes we face friends we’ve played with for years. But in a tournament, everything shifts. Emotions run high, and we give it everything”.
We spoke with Michael Koliandris, founder and owner of Endo Sports, organizers of the Masterball Series, who is the jetsetter of organizing padel tournaments in Cyprus. It launched with just 32 teams. Today, it reaches the ceiling: 220 teams per tournament, stretched across three days of back-to-back matches from morning to night.
Each event runs across 4 to 6 courts and includes multiple categories: Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Doubles, designed to include all levels of play. What started as a series became a platform and a brand. One that built its own ranking system to match players more fairly and raise the level of competition.
On the growth of the Masterball Series, Michael said: “Sponsor involvement has grown steadily thanks to a strategic, hands-on approach from the start. Key decision-makers, from marketing executives to business development leads and company owners, were invited to experience padel firsthand and see how the sport, the clubs, and their products could align.
“That initial exposure opened doors. What began with just 3-4 sponsors per tournament has now evolved into long-term partnerships with major food and beverage companies, car manufacturers, financial institutions, and national TV broadcasters. Each sponsor plays a role in elevating the tournaments and driving the shared mission of growing the sport and enriching the experience for players and fans alike”.
“Each sponsor plays a role in elevating the tournaments and driving the shared mission of growing the sport and enriching the experience for players and fans alike”. - Michael Koliandris, Founder and Owner of Endo Sports.
This is all grounded in data. Over 2,000 participations across 17 tournaments have been logged in the past three years, giving organizers the confidence, and evidence, to scale up: more courts, longer tournaments, bigger draws. Prize money has kept pace, rising from €2,000 pots to more than €5,000 in cash and rewards, enough to attract high calibre players from Cyprus and abroad.
Women changing the game
For many women in Cyprus, padel arrived as more than just a sport. It became an invitation to move. To meet. To compete without judgment. The doubles format helped. It made it less about solo pressure and more about partnership. Clubs across the island saw the potential and leaned in.
Some started offering women-only sessions. Others integrated mixed doubles nights, where experience didn’t matter as much as energy. At clubs like Padel Pro, female players found a space that was both inclusive and empowering.
While exclusive women’s leagues are still developing, tournaments frequently include women’s brackets, and the turnout keeps growing. The sport’s natural rhythm, quick rallies, bursts of speed, and shared strategy, fits perfectly into the lives of women who want fitness without the grind.
And the benefits? Beyond the obvious physical perks like agility, endurance, and strength, there’s a real mental boost. Players talk about how padel helps them unwind, reset, and reconnect with themselves and others.
The court is calling
Padel’s rise in Cyprus is no fluke. It didn’t ride in on a marketing wave or a celebrity endorsement. It grew from the ground up, court by court, club by club, laugh by laugh. What began as an experiment is now an ecosystem.
It’s not unusual to hear someone say they play padel two or three times a week. What’s more surprising is that many of them weren’t even athletes before. The game is contagious, in the best way possible. And it’s still growing.
As more women take the leap, more clubs invest in facilities, and more kids start swinging rackets half their size, one thing is clear: padel in Cyprus isn’t a trend.
It’s a rally. A rhythm. A movement powered by people.
Whether you’re chasing trophies or just chasing the ball, whether you’ve never held a racket or used to play professionally, the game meets you where you are. There’s no gatekeeping. No pretence.
Just a court. Four walls. A net. And a community waiting to play.