It was on the sidelines of the P1 in Madrid that Red Bull launched a men's and women's padel competition in Spain in a new format. Aimed at Spanish amateur players, the Red Bull Padel Dash will be held in three phases: a qualifying phase (at club level), a regional phase (bringing together the best 96 pairs) and a national final phase (in Marbella, on November 23).

This event is unique in that it sees 8 pairs compete simultaneously on 4 courts for a duration of 6 minutes. The first pair to earn 10 points wins a "Special Win" and must then run towards a red button, which stops the game for all games. Each team scores points according to their results, and the pair with the most points advances to the next round - until there is only one winning pair left. The "Special Win" allows the team to collect 2 points, while a simple victory earns 1 point (a defeat = minus 1 point).

UTS_Tennis_NY_2024

Beyond the marketing and anecdotal dimension of the event, this initiative certainly tells us something about the fun and fast aspect currently being tested in certain sports. It is reminiscent, at least in spirit, of the UTS (Ultimate Tennis Showdown) launched in 2020 at the initiative of Patrick Mouratoglou. In the midst of Covid, the idea was to offer professional players exhibition matches that were more rhythmic than the usual format, divided into timed quarters. It should also be noted that the UTS seems to be increasingly anchoring itself in the tennis landscape, since The second stage of the year took place in New York, on August 22 and 23. Its winner? A certain Gaël Monfils.

What are these initiatives the name of? Certainly a trend that is tending to become clearer and that aims to promote rhythm, to get the adrenaline pumping and to produce a spectacle for an audience hungry for thrills. To what extent does a short (or even ultra short) format allow a hierarchy to be respected between players or pairs? Are we in the process of prioritizing spectacle to the detriment of sportsmanship?

The question is asked… We’ll let you answer it!

Frederic Theulé

Not a day goes by without a line… of padel court! For a few years now, Frédéric has decided to devote himself to his lifelong passion: the little yellow ball and its merciless world. Addict, did you say addict?

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