Padel Singles: How to Play Padel 1v1 With Just Two Players

You've booked a court for 7 a.m. on Tuesday, and by Monday night your four has shrunk to two. One has a meeting, the other is ill. Cancel, or play anyway? The good news: padel works with two people too, as long as you adjust the court a little.

Short answer: yes, you can play padel with 2 players. Official padel is a doubles game, but two people can play padel singles, 1v1 on the diagonals: each player uses only one half of their side, and the two halves sit diagonally opposite each other. In the PadelDropIn app you pick the "Singles 1v1" format when creating an open match, and a competitive singles match counts toward both players' levels, just like doubles.

Contents

• Can you play padel with 2 players?
• How padel singles works on the diagonals
• When singles makes sense
• What to agree before the match
• How to set up a 1v1 match in PadelDropIn
• Alerts only for times you'd play
• When a spot opens up
• Padel singles FAQ
• How to get started

Can you play padel with 2 players?

You can, with a bit of agreement up front. The rules of the International Padel Federation (FIP) describe padel as a game for pairs on a 20 × 10 metre court. On a court that wide, one player per side struggles to cover everything, especially with walls and glass keeping the ball in play.

That's why two players usually play a reduced version: instead of defending their whole half, each player covers only part of it. If you're still learning the basics, start with padel rules for beginners and come back to singles afterwards.

How padel singles works on the diagonals

In the format PadelDropIn uses, singles is played on the diagonals: picture the court split lengthwise into a left and a right half, with each player using just one half of their side — so you face each other cross-court, on the diagonal. You only defend half of your side, so rallies can actually last.

How it differs from doubles:

• No partner to cover your mistakes. Every ball that gets past you is your opponent's point.
• It's more physical. There's no let-up — every ball on your half is yours, so you tire sooner. Plan shorter sets or water breaks.
• Tactics get simpler. There's no rotating or calling with a partner, so the focus shifts to ball control and playing off the glass.

When singles makes sense

Singles doesn't replace doubles, but it earns its place in a few situations:

• Only two of you turned up. Play 1v1 rather than losing the slot.
• Training. You touch the ball far more often, which is a quick way to work on strokes and wall play.
• Early morning or late slots. When four people are hard to find, one is much easier.
• A player at your level. A 1v1 quickly shows where you stand against each other.

What to agree before the match

There isn't one standard recreational singles rulebook, so a quick chat before you start saves arguments later:

1. Which diagonal you play, and whether you switch after each set.
2. How serving works — who serves first and how it rotates.
3. Competitive or friendly. Competitive counts toward your level; friendly doesn't.
4. How many sets, and whether you play to the clock or to the end of a set.

Good manners still apply when there are only two of you — see padel etiquette on court.

How to set up a 1v1 match in PadelDropIn

You book directly with the club — by phone, on its website or in person — and you'll find clubs on the padel clubs page. Once you have a slot, you open a match in the app and find your opponent.

When you create an open match there's a Format picker:

• "Doubles 2v2" — the default; four players, full court.
• "Singles 1v1" — two players, diagonals.

Worth knowing:

• A singles match has two seats, one on each side of the VS marker.
• Competitive stays available. A competitive singles match counts toward both players' levels, just like doubles; a friendly one doesn't.
• The format can't be changed once the match is created, so choose carefully.
• Singles matches carry a 1v1 badge on the match card and on the match details.
• The Matches tab has a filter: All formats / Doubles / Singles. It resets when you leave the tab.

The court costs the same as for doubles, since you're using the whole court, and you pay at the club. For broader advice on building a group, read how to find padel partners and set up an open match.

Alerts only for times you'd play

If you're after singles at specific times, you don't need an alert for every match in town. In the notification settings there's "When to reach me": choose weekdays and times of day — Mornings, Afternoons, Evenings or Late. From then on you're only alerted about open matches whose start time falls inside that window.

The general quiet hours from 23:00 to 08:00 still apply. Players with at least three matches may see a one-time prompt, "Only hear about games you'd play", offering this setting.

When a spot opens up

In singles, one dropout means there's no match, so filling the seat fast matters. When someone leaves a match starting within the next 48 hours, players waiting in the join queue are notified, longest-waiting first. If nobody is queued, the organiser is notified instead. These alerts aren't sent during quiet hours.

Padel singles FAQ

Is padel 1v1 an official format? The official FIP rules describe a doubles game. Singles on the diagonals is something players agree on between themselves, and PadelDropIn supports it as "Singles 1v1".

Do you need a special court? No. It's played on a regular padel court.

Can I set up a match for three? No. The app supports matches for two or four players.

Do I need a different racket? No, the same racket works for singles. If you're buying your first one, see how to choose a padel racket.

How to get started

1. Agree a time and book the court directly with the club.
2. Download the PadelDropIn app and set up your profile.
3. Create an open match, choose "Singles 1v1" and decide whether it's competitive or friendly.
4. In notification settings, set "When to reach me" to the days and hours you play.
5. Before the match, agree on the diagonal, the serve and the number of sets.

The club network is gradually expanding across the region; Belgrade is active today. For other updates, see what's new in the PadelDropIn app and the PadelDropIn blog.

Sources

• FIP, Rules of Padel (PDF) — court dimensions and the doubles game. Checked 2 October 2026.