The Dutch tennis and padel association, specialist builders and anti-noise campaigners have agreed new recommendations for the construction of padel courts, following numerous complaints, the AD reported on Tuesday.

The recommendations state that new padel courts must be built no closer to homes than 100 metres, and in some case up to 160 metres away.

Dutch anti-noise nuisance group NSG says there are dozens of court cases underway already. ‘The racket used to play padel is much harder than a tennis racked and makes much more noise when it hits the ball,’ director Erik Roelofsen told the paper. ‘And the same applies when the ball hits the glass walls.’

Padel is a Mexican racket sport similar to tennis, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court and has soared in popularity in the Netherlands. By 2022 there were 1500 courts nationwide and tens of thousands of players.

Amsterdam alone has 87 courts, of which 26 are outdoors.