Padel, after the turnaround the Olympic Games are coming up. And for Italy, a third tournament is imminent

And finally peace came. It was in the air and everyone was hoping for it, but in short, a sensitive issue like the relationship between the World Padel Tour and the International Padel Federation really needed an official announcement, a word “end” after a year and a half of quarrels, arguments and litigation . The transition of the WPT from the hands of Damm to that of Qatar Sports Investments – but above all the recognition of the FIP governance as the single “central brain” at the organizational and development level – marks a historic turning point for Padel. And with that finally ends a long period of confusion, not easy to explain for laypeople and difficult to interpret, especially for the players who are the real protagonists of this show.

ADVANTAGES

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FIP President Luigi Carraro speaks of “a tremendous responsibility in managing the new and unique world circus” and stresses that “the collaboration with the national federations has led to results that were unthinkable until recently”. And so, participation in the Brisbane 2032 Games, which would be a first for padel in the Olympics, turns from a “dream” into a “concrete goal” for lovers of this sport, which has seen growth trends in recent impressive years both at both amateur and professional level. The first step was taken with the presence at the European Games 2023 in Kraków, but of course we don’t want to stop there because now finally all the major players in the padel world can work together towards development. The most immediate practical benefit to derive from the integration between World Padel Tour and Premier Padel, in addition to an undoubtedly more relaxed atmosphere, will be the quality of the game itself. Two “top-level” tournaments led to two years of busy schedules, in which the prestigious tournaments were too close together and it was impossible for the top players to prepare as best they could. And so, numerous injuries (sometimes even diplomatic ones) ensued, weakening already filled scoreboards and undermining the show. Now we can organize more calmly and in advance, which benefits everyone.

“IMPROVED” ITALY

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A more thoughtful and intelligent calendar will also guarantee more space for countries where interest in padel is increasing: in Italy we are not yet reaching the level of Spain and South America, but the success of the Premier Padel tournaments in Rome and Milan in the last one and a half Years say a lot about the growth potential of the discipline. And here, awaiting official confirmation, rumors are already circulating about a new Italian tournament for 2024, category “P2” (a Major will be held at Foro Italico, a “P1” in Milan). Another chance to see the world’s strongest players up close, without necessarily having to take a plane and fly across the border.