There are decisions that go beyond the simple framework of the regulations.
And that of not offering  wild card  to Miguel Lamperti for the main painting of Buenos Aires Premier Padel P1 is clearly part of it.

Because this is not just any player.
He is probably one of the greatest ambassadors padel has ever had.

And especially from an Argentinian.
In Buenos Aires.
Perhaps for his last major home tournament.

The absence of a wild card has shocked part of the padel world.

The elimination of Miguel Lamperti and his partner Martín Abud in qualifying left a bitter taste for many fans.

Not so much for the sporting result.
Facundo López and Franco Dal Bianco played a very good match to win 6/2 7/6 and obviously deserve their qualification.

But the story goes far beyond this match.

Because many believe the organizers missed an obvious opportunity:
that of offering a fitting send-off to a legend of world padel in front of his home crowd.

No one would have cried scandal.

The most surprising thing about this story is that no one – or almost no one – would have found this wild card illegitimate.

On the contrary.

In many tournaments, invitations are regularly given to players or pairs who are much lower ranked.
However, Lamperti and Abud still arrived as  seed 8 in qualifying .

We are talking about a player who is still ranked in the world's Top 60.
From a man who has lived through all the eras of professional padel.
From a beloved figure of the Argentinian public.

And above all, a player who represents a great deal for the very image of the sport.

Brussels P2 understood this

The contrast with Brussels Premier Padel P2 is striking, by the way.

In Belgium, the organizers had offered Lamperti a wild card when he played with the Belgian Isaac Huysveld.

Certainly, the association with a local player was obviously a “winning ticket” to obtaining the invitation.
But at least the organizers had understood something essential: Lamperti today transcends the simple sporting aspect.

His presence in a painting brings emotion, image, history, audience, and a connection with the fans.

Yes, this article has a bias.

Some might say that the journalist behind these lines lacks objectivity.

And they will probably be right.

Yes, Miguel Lamperti is one of the players who have marked an entire generation of fans.
Yes, his charisma is unique.

But beyond the emotional aspect, there is also an economic and historical reality.

Lamperti helped to grow this sport like very few other players have.

Lamperti, much more than a player

We must also not forget the enormous impact it has had on some major brands in the sector.

It's impossible, for example, to mention NOX without thinking of the legendary  ML10 , a racket that has become iconic and has spanned generations of amateur and professional players.

For years, Lamperti has been one of the most recognizable faces in world padel.

Her headband, her spectacular style, her personality and her energy have helped to popularize the sport far beyond the slopes.

Are the organizers planning something?

Obviously, it's difficult to imagine that the tournament organizers and Premier Padel They are not preparing anything for him.

One can easily imagine a tribute during the finals or even a special ceremony. But anyway…

Because Lamperti obviously deserves a send-off worthy of what he has contributed to padel.

But despite this, one question remains:

Why not have offered him this wild card directly, which seemed almost a natural choice?

The argument about "too many" wild cards?

Some will nevertheless defend the decision.

After all, Lamperti had already benefited recently:

  • of a wild card at Brussels P2,
  • then another one in Asunción Premier Padel P2.

The organizers may have considered that a third consecutive invitation was becoming difficult to justify from a sporting perspective.

Perhaps also the fact of playing with a 23-year-old Paraguayan, Martín Abud, rather than with an Argentinian player, weighed in the balance.

But even with this argument, it's hard not to think that if there was a tournament where this wild card was obvious... it was precisely this one.

In Buenos Aires.
At his home.
In front of his audience.
In an Argentinian P1.

Because sometimes, sport shouldn't just be about points, rules, or tables.

Sometimes, we also need to respect history.

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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