Cork Padel

Heritage

Cork Padel began with Nicolau Silva, who had spent about 20 years making dental prostheses and played padel. After breaking several rackets he started repairing them, which showed him how they were built, and he went on to design his own.

Pedro Plantier, a founding member of the Portuguese Padel Federation and the first national champion, met Silva at a Lisbon club where he saw him playing with an unusual prototype. Plantier has said the first prototypes date from 2012 to 2013, and that early versions were tested by friends and national team players. He challenged Silva to remove vibration and weight and improve the look.

Cork, a material closely tied to Portugal, became the defining ingredient. It is used on the face and inside the racket alongside carbon fibre, fibreglass, Kevlar and EVA foam, and the brand says this underpins its patented anti-vibration system. Because cork is soft and hard to machine, the holes are finished by hand.

The brand launched commercially at the end of 2016, initially from a garage in the backyard of Silva's parents' house, and has been described as the first padel racket brand to manufacture in Portugal. Production moved to a factory in Fátima, with the business based in Santa Catarina da Serra.

By 2021 Cork employed 21 people and turned over 1.1 million euros, with 90 per cent exported to 33 countries. It grew 39 per cent in 2022 and passed 1,000 rackets in a single month for the first time in October 2022.

In 2025 ECO reported 35 staff, turnover of 2.5 million euros, about 1,000 handmade rackets a month and exports of 70 per cent to more than 50 countries, mainly Scandinavia, Argentina, the United States and the Middle East. The brand also opened a flagship store on Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon, and Cristiano Ronaldo posted a photo with a Cork racket in 2024.

Today the range climbs from the Classic and Kids rackets through Premium and Supreme to the Extreme high-competition line. Cork also supplies the Portuguese men's national padel team and makes leather and nylon bags, clothing and accessories. In July 2026 Plantier said the brand was present in 52 countries.