Analysis of tactical indicators in professional padel: a narrative review of the serve, return and point finishing

Abstract

Professional padel has undergone a considerable technical and tactical evolution over the last decade, which requires continuous updating of scientific knowledge. The aim of this narrative review was to provide an integrated analysis of the current scientific evidence on three critical phases of play: the serve, the return, and point finishing. A bibliographic search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases, and 21 original articles published between 2020 and 2025 that focused on elite performance were selected. The findings show that the serve acts as the main catalyst for positional advantage, although its effectiveness erodes more rapidly in women’s padel than in men’s padel. The return emerges as the key neutralization tool, showing a marked sex-based dimorphism in the use of the lob and the direct return. Finally, point finishing is defined as a sequential process in which the net is the critical space and the smash stands out not only as a winning shot but also as a generator of forced errors. It is concluded that contemporary padel is moving towards greater tactical stability, in which the reduction of unforced errors and functional specialization according to playing side are decisive. This review provides an updated interpretive framework for optimizing training processes in high-performance contexts.