Feedback on the interview with Fabrice Pastor, president of the APT Padel Tour and Monte Carlo International Sports, in the Face-to-Face Live Instagram.

  • First of all

I already hope that everyone is in containment. And I would like to thank Padel Magazine one more time.

  • Its history in the padel

I am a player, an enthusiast, I have played for many years. I was lucky to be able to play a lot of tournaments from Padel Pro Tour in Spain, and manage to get a lot of points because before it was much easier than now. By traveling a lot, we could have a correct ranking, it had nothing to do with today. I also decided to create the Fabrice Pastor Cup to give young people an unthinkable opportunity. If we look at the ranking “from the other circuit”, there are quite a few players who have been able to improve their lives thanks to the Fabrice Pastor Cup.

  • About Monte Carlo International Sports

I started this as a hobby to help the sport. Today it has become a benchmark in this sport. We did a lot of things: help a brand to have Paquito Navarro and make rackets that have sold around the world, or even a ball that also had the logo of Monte Carlo International Sports, we made the first stadium France covered, help players, sponsor, the Fabrice Pastor Cup which helped in South America and Europe. I think it was necessary. We helped Stupaczuk / Di Nenno, Elias Estrella who unfortunately died and who played with Britos, Bergamini / Campagnolo, Tello / Chingotto…

  • The end of the Fabrice Pastor Cup and the creation of the APT

After so many years, with so much internal / external war, or with certain players or with the World Padel Tour, we still created all of this, and one day we were betrayed by two players and we quit completely. I think I did a lot for this sport and I couldn't take it anymore. I was treated with everything, people only see negative things when we go… He's the president of Femex Padel, Omar Villavicensio, who after months managed to convince me to create the APT Padel Tour.

  • On the will to create the IPT

We tried to work together with the WPT but they want a monopoly, and their way of treating players with contracts that go beyond sport and legality, is for me not the way to make sport grow in the world. I believe that the system we have set up is more democratic. We want tournament owners.

Some of the players, the oldest, stayed with the WPT and they trained the young people so it didn't happen.

  • APT Padel Tour

The circuit is now called APT Padel Tower. There we have an attractive circuit, with stages in the United States in particular: Las Vegas, Houston, San Diego. We are ready if it had to start again but for the moment it is difficult to know. We are working for 2021, there will be a major expansion. In addition to the tournaments in the United States which are signed until 2022, we are working on Paraguay, Costa Rica, Panama ...

  • On the conditions of the APT

I don't believe WPT players can play APT. On the other hand, the APT accepts everyone. Everyone started from scratch in Mérida. Our circuit is absolutely free and democratic. Obviously the players have a contract to play the APT but we put logical percentages so that the players can play the Final Master by playing 50% of the Open and 80% of the Masters.

  • On the Wild Card of Benjamin Tison and Jérémy Scatena

They don't need a Wild Card! They register and they play the tournament. This is where Monte Carlo Sports International will make the difference: if a Swedish, French or Chinese wants to play the APT, there is no problem. Of course to participate in a pro tournament they must be professional. There are rules for amateur and professional tournaments, but otherwise everyone can participate. If tomorrow we have a tournament in Tokyo, the Japanese must first play. And then they see the stars of the circuit.

  • On the benefits of the APT for players

We have an agreement with AeroMexico, so that all players who play the APT have 30% discount on their plane tickets to travel to tournaments. This is unheard of. If French people register, they will have the advantage of the plane ticket of course.

  • On the establishment of Grand Chelem

We have the Open, the Master and we are looking for a name for what would be the equivalent of Grand Chelem tennis. We are going to create it in 2021, and there will very possibly be two. 2022 I hope for three or even four. I think many countries will want to join the APT. If we have three continents, we will have a unified ranking, we will have a large number of players. The difficulty is not to be mistaken about the number of tournaments that we will have in the year.

  • On the possible evolutions of the circuit

We are not going to have the opportunity to do like tennis, a tour on a continent, then in another etc. But with the impressive engines that are Mexico and the United States, we are in contact with large multinationals who are interested in sponsoring the circuit. The USA, Portugal, France, Mexico, Sweden, Germany and Belgium are countries with great potential. We have to help them grow, to create players. You have to be ready to take the leap to Asia, Africa, or Oceania.

  • The willingness of the APT to help players

For me my players are the best in the world. For me, the world ranking is the APT ranking Padel Tower. When you play the APT, you don't have to ask the APT to put a sponsor on your t-shirt. You can play all the circuits you want. We try to help the players to work, through exhibitions. I am the president of Continental American Padel Federation: we put land in schools, we make scholarships to help the growth of sport. We are doing courses for coaches so that there are more coaches, real coaches, not tennis players who know more or less what they are talking about, referees from all countries. It's all a huge job to make the sport grow.

  • A look back at the first two stages

The Previa was perhaps of a very average level because the Mexican players were allowed to play in their countries. Tennis helped us to set up this incredible tournament, thanks to Stan Wawrinka who helped us a lot, Thomas Johansson etc. We had 18 more players compared to Mérida. And we had players who went to Spain to do the other circuit and who in principle remain. We helped them get sponsors.

  • On the evolution of the Prize Money on the APT

We started with $12 for an Open and $000 for a Master. There will be a huge increase: $20 for the Grand Chelem, for the Open and Master I can't say yet but a net increase from 2021. We will maintain the prizes and the tournaments.

  • His opinion on the development of padel in France

The FFT has all my respect, it is an enormous economic power, it can make France a great nation of padel. We were in discussions with Monte Carlo International Sports but with all the upheavals, I gave up the circuit, maybe a little more my fault than theirs. But why not in the future, that there be an APT stage in France. I have a club in Beausoleil, and I am delighted. Why not do an APT in Beausoleil ?! I would be happy to.

  •  On the evolutions of padel

Remove the smoke vendors. Agree on the future system so that players can have a career and that we can enjoy the padel in the whole world. There are a lot of players in Spain but if for example the FFT starts to push, it can shake Spain.

 

Find the + / answers to Internet users' questions / INSIDE in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHz0ZC58

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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