2023 marks the end of an era for the padel professional. Indeed, it is a new era that will begin in 2024.

The end of the WPT

We kinda expected it, but the World Padel Tour, who failed to keep the confidence of the players, and to get them to sign a new contract, will disappear at the end of the season. Indeed, the circuit financed by Estrella Damm will be absorbed by Premier Padel in 2024. .

After ten years of organizing tournaments with the best players in the world, the circuit that had replaced the Padel Pro Tour in 2013, will in turn bow out. As Demetrio Carceller Arce, Executive Chairman of Damm pointed out "Le World Padel Tour now enters a new phase under the leadership of QSI, which will contribute to accelerating the international growth of the circuit. Damm is proud to have contributed to the development of the padel professional, doing World Padel Tour a worldwide reference, with more than 4 million followers. This allowed the padel to become the fastest growing sport in the world in recent years, with extremely positive advances for the entire sports industry. padel". 

It must be said that the padel has completely changed in dimension over the past ten years, and the WPT is obviously no stranger to this.

Public Valencia
©WPT

Now it's up to Premier Padel what is the task of making this sport even more attractive to fans!

Multiple Retiring Legends

As change never comes alone, the 2024 season will begin without several legends of the sport.

Indeed, the former numbers 1 that are Juan Martin Diaz, Pablo Lima, Mapi and Majo Alayeto, have all announced their retirement at the end of the season.

Another big name in this sport, Juani Mieres, has also just ended his career. Earlier in the season, it was Mati Diaz who announced “to step aside".

All these charismatic players will obviously leave a void in the circuit, and probably, among the forties, only Fernando Belasteguin, Miguel Lamperti and Agustin Silingo will continue to be part of the main draws of Premier Padel next season.

Lasting changes in “governance”?

After three years marked by the domination of Juan Lebron and Ale Galan, there was a change of governance during this first part of the season, Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia crushing everything in their path and becoming the pair to beat in every competition. Effective in all conditions, the Hispano-Argentinian pair, cut to achieve winning points, is also capable of defending all the balls! A real machine that leaves only crumbs to its pursuers. The proof with this WPT compilation where Arturo and Agus' show off all their talent.

Video – The best of World Padel Tour mid-season

Plagued by injuries, Lebron and Galan cannot currently compete with the players of the Crosetti-Martin-Pratto trio. It's simple, if they want to recover their throne, the men of Mariano Amat will have to win almost everything by the end of the season. Barring a huge turnaround, Tapia and Coello left to finish the season at the top of the world hierarchy.

In women, it's a bit the same thing, since Gemma Triay and Alejandra Salazar, number 1 in 2021 and 2022, have separated, and Paula Josemaria and Ariana Sanchez seem on their way to end the year in first place. . When we tell you that a new era is on the way...

Josemaria-and-Sanchez-do-la-decima-
©WPT

You have understood it, 2023 marks the end of an era in the padel professional, an environment where everything evolves very quickly, so quickly that some even speak ofenlarge the tracks, which have become too small for the athletes of this sport!

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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