Portres (X3), Are We Losing You?!

Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world. As the number of players increases globally, the game itself continues to evolve. Ten years ago, shots that went out of the court were a rare sight, but today almost any player in the Top 100 can pull them off.

We’re talking about the shot where the ball flies out through the three-meter side wall of the court — known as the X3 (pronounced por tres, which literally means “by three” in Spanish).

Players have not only mastered this technically demanding shot — essentially a topspin smash with a perfectly calculated trajectory — but they’ve also learned how to bring it back into play. Usually, this is done with a quick volley into the net, after which saving the point becomes nearly impossible.

🎥 Here’s what it looks like

On September 15, 2024, Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia faced Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto in the final of the Rotterdam tournament. Arturo and Agustín took the win, executing five out-of-court shots during the match. Three of them ended in lost points — Ale and Fede not only managed to chase the ball outside the court but also counterattacked effectively.

 

A year later, the Rotterdam final was repeated. The Golden Boys won again, but throughout the entire match there was only one X3 attempt — and that one also resulted in a lost point.

 

According to Pablo Cardona (currently ranked No. 17 in the world):

“The por tres shot in modern padel leads to losing the point about half the time. You either have to give it up or hit it with maximum angle so the ball flies as far away from the court as possible.”

Of course, the shot remains relevant in women’s padel and in amateur play, where a ball flying out through the side wall automatically counts as a winning point — since going outside the court is not allowed on most amateur courts.

However, in men’s professional padel, these spectacular moments — the sprints, the dramatic saves — are becoming increasingly rare. Players now prefer a more reliable central smash that sends the ball safely back onto their own side.