Padel Magazine wanted to highlight a rather surprising situation. Three friends find themselves at the head of the three professional padel circuits. We therefore wonder if they could one day work together and allow us to have unity in our sport.

Best friends at the head of professional padel

In just six months, the professional padel landscape has exploded on all levels. Today, we find three “brothers” on the highest steps of the professional padel circuits. What if this configuration would allow the circuits to come closer together?

Karim alami the Director of the Doha ATP Tournament has become one of the essential promoters of Premier Padel. Premier Padel is to become the official circuit recognized by the International Federation of Padel. An exceptional circuit that is enjoying worldwide success. Qatar is also hosting the World Padel Championships for the second consecutive time next November.

Alex Corretja, double finalist of Roland-Garros (1998 and 2001), became theth Vice-President of World Padel Tour. A rookie of choice for a losing WPT, which lost its monopoly overnight and some of which announce the end in December 2023 (Date from which, players will be released from their contract with him). But beware, despite poor general communication, strategic errors, players and companies turning their backs on it, the WPT may not have said its last word.

And finally louis wolf, a great figure in world tennis, coach of the greatest tennis players (Carlos Moya, David Nalbandian, Marcelo Ríos, Juan Mónaco, Mariano Zabaleta, Agustín Calleri…) recently took over from the former Swedish CEO, Thomas Johansson. He has just signed a first success with the Tenerife and Canary Open. Fabrice Pastor's circuit is booming and continues to be exported internationally.

“The FIP prevents this rapprochement”

But to allow these three friends to try to reconcile the circuits, there will be work! Indeed, we already know that between the WPT and the FIP, the links are more than broken, with cases that will be settled in court.

For Fabrice Pastor, if there is collaboration between the circuits, it will obviously not go through the International Federation of Padel (FIP), according to him “too tied to another circuit (Ed. Premier Padel) to actually be totally free".

"The interests of the FIP are not those of padel. Officially I am the only one to say it unfortunately, and for too long. But little by little, the veil is lifting.“, continues the Monegasque.

Fabrice Pastor: “The FIP put pressure on the mayors…”

Circuits serving padel?

You understand that nothing is won, but the words of Luis Lobo, which he granted us exclusively in Tenerife, remain a reason for hope: “We are all three (Lobo, Corretja and Alami) on the same wavelength. We have the same ambitions for the development of this sport. And the APT is ready to come to the table if it is in the interest of the sport.”

The door doesn't seem to be closed, but everyone will have to put some water in their wine… Do these three former great tennis players have the possibility of changing the situation?

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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