WinWin Padel Cabriès finds itself at the heart of a conflict with the town hall, as the club, iconic since 2015, sees its future threatened by controversial municipal projects. In this exclusive interview, president Sébastien Caille explains the difficulties associated with the reclassification of the PLU (Local Urban Planning Area), the lack of pre-emption rights, and the impact of urban planning decisions on the development of padel in France. Discover how this pioneering club is resisting administrative pressure and preparing to open a new site in the PACA region, despite ongoing tensions with the local authority.
Sébastien Caille: “It will take more than that to make us disappear”
President of WinWin Padel In Cabriès, Sébastien Caille discusses his club's history, its development, the challenges it encountered with local authorities, the future of the organization, and its expansion plans. A no-holds-barred interview.
It's a long story. The club was founded in 2015. At the time, launching such a project was a real gamble, even a crazy one.
"They took us for aliens. Padel was unknown, the courts were empty, there was no community yet."
Fortunately, the passion was there. The club survived thanks to other activities by its founders and the support of players like Julien Boileau, Melchior Dejounany, and others.
"We kept our heads down for a long time, without earning a cent. But we believed in it. And today, when I see the full stands, I tell myself that we did well to wait."
"Our biggest mistake was believing that we could run a club completely autonomously, with an ultra-digital model."
Sébastien Caille describes a very technological initial project, with little human presence on site, but which quickly showed its limits.
"We were missing the soul of a club, the atmosphere. We made up for it over time, by surrounding ourselves with good coaches, organizers, and people on the ground."
The president makes no secret of his opinion: the future of padel is indoors, even in the South.
"We have too many weather constraints, too much heat, too much wind. Even here in PACA, indoor training is a necessity to ensure regular and comfortable practice."
And yet, the club welcomes the P2000 on a splendid outdoor center, a legacy of a legendary tennis court from the 80s.
"This court is beautiful, it has a story. But if I had to do it again, I would have covered the entire platform."
A new WinWin club is planned for September 2025 in the PACA region.
"It's almost official. And there will be others, but we won't rush into it. The conditions have to be right: surface area, height, parking, profitability. It's not that simple."
He also mentioned a project in the Occitanie region for 2026, and confirmed that he is regularly approached by investors or potential partners.
One of the hot topics is the future of the current site. The town hall has launched a public service delegation (DSP) to create a new padel complex on neighboring land, as part of a large real estate project.
"We didn't respond to this DSP. We downloaded the file, consulted it... and decided not to apply."
Why this refusal?
"Because we have a commercial lease here. A 3-6-9 lease. What the town hall is proposing is a precarious occupancy permit, which doesn't allow for sales, value, or sustainability. Basically, they're asking me to hand over my keys, my investments, and move elsewhere, losing all my rights."
Worse still, the club denounces a total lack of consultation.
"We were not consulted as the historical occupants. They sold a single plot when they said they wanted to sell everything at once. We are therefore challenging the sales agreements for failure to respect the right of first refusal."
A “worthless” DSP
For Sébastien Caille, the DSP does not provide any stability.
"It's a precarious lease, with no commercial value. I'm not going to invest millions in a project where I hand over the keys in 25 years or 4 years, where I can't resell anything. It's simply not economically viable."
He adds :
"If I responded to the DSP, I implicitly agreed to leave the current site. It was blackmail, nothing more, nothing less."
A political desire for destabilization?
He denounces a vague, even cynical municipal strategy.
"The PLU was amended to transform the leisure area into a tertiary zone, allowing the construction of more than 30 m². The land was promised at 000 million, when it's worth 5,6 to 20 million. It's all incredible."
The former mayor, who supported the project in 2015, is no longer part of the current municipal team.
"The former mayor is fighting for us to stay, but politics has changed. Today, they want us to disappear."
No animosity towards competition
Sébastien Caille wants to clarify: he has not no problem with the Pista, the competing club under construction, nor with its founders.
"We're being opposed, but that's not the real problem. The real issue is the attempt to push us aside without consultation. If we have to coexist with other clubs tomorrow, fine. We'll make Cabriès the padel capital."
If he is offered a decent buyout, he is ready to rebuild elsewhere.
"If someone tells me: here's 7 million euros, rebuild the same club somewhere else, I'll go. But otherwise, I'll stay here. We've invested, structured, and built a community. We have major FFT events in 2026."
In particular, the French U14 and U16 championships, awarded to the club subject to the condition of remaining in the competition.
"The proceedings have been ongoing since 2022. It could take a long time."
Sébastien Caille also has a message for entrepreneurs attracted by the rise of padel.
"It's not the El Dorado we think it is. Yes, it's profitable if it's well managed, with a good location and a beautiful community. But it takes time, passion, and experience."
He even offers to help those who want to get started.
"I invite those who want to know more to write to me. I will gladly respond. I don't want to associate with just anyone, but I do want to share what we have learned."
The year 2025 could well mark a turning point.
"With the new complex, we're going to give WinWin a new lease of life. This whole context of proceedings isn't pleasant. But we remain motivated, and we continue to fight."