110.- Evolution of scientific research on padel: A systematic review from 2022 to 2025

Padel has become one of the most popular racket sports worldwide, showing rapid growth in both participation and scientific output. This systematic review examines research on padel published between January 2022 and August 2025. Variables examined include the evolution of the number of publications, main research lines, sample characteristics, players’ sex, country of origin, aside from the most prominent authors and journals. Searches were conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar, identifying 188 articles. Results reveal a marked increase in publications, surpassing 50 annual outputs since 2024. Performance indicators emerged as the predominant research focus (35.64%), followed by physical parameters (14.36%), reviews (12.77%), and injuries (10.64%). Half of the studies analyzed professional players, while research also extended to amateur and youth categories. Regarding sex, most studies included both genders (74.55%), though 23.07% examined only men and just 2.36% focused exclusively on women. Spain and Italy accounted for 90% of publications, with five leading authors contributing to 42% of the total output. Padel Scientific Journal was identified as the main reference journal. Overall, these findings provide an updated overview of the evolution of padel research, underscoring its rapid expansion while also revealing significant gaps that could guide future investigations.