Fabrice Pastor and theAPT Padel Tour continue on their way. The circuit grows independently of any support from the International Federation of Padel. Present in Tenerife, the Monegasque explains the situation, and releases some exclusives for the future of the APT.

A success in the Canary Islands

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: Hello Fabrice, how are you?

Fabrice Pastor:“Very good, we are very happy with the work of the promoters. It's our first time here in the Canary Islands, and we had very little time to organize the tournament. We signed for 3+2 years, and we came to stay.”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: We had a lot of events in very spectacular places (Las Setas, the Casino de Monte Carlo, River Plate…), is the idea to make beautiful events from an aesthetic point of view?

Fabrice Pastor:“It's true that here too we are in a little paradise. The players are delighted. Next year it will be much bigger with 2000 people. It's been full every day, but it's too small.”

Start of the 2023 season from January 5!

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: I know you have some news to announce for next season…

Fabrice Pastor:“Next year, the APT Padel Tour will start in January (from 5 to 12) at Punta del Este (Uruguay). It's something interesting because we talked with the players about the fact that there isn't really a pre-season anymore. The weeks that there are sometimes between tournaments, these are the weeks that you have to take advantage of to train. The APT wants to exist from January to December.”

“Punta del Este is like going to Saint-Tropez or Monaco in the middle of July.”

In Italy, despite the FIP

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: In the new calendar we have seen the appearance of a tournament in Turin.

Fabrice Pastor:“Yes, in Turin it will be with the Elkann family and Lapo Elkann. It was very difficult to confirm an event in Italy. “Thanks” to the International Federation, we had the regret of not being able to do either Milan or Rome. I think the FIP should be there for the sport to develop and it does just the opposite. It seems that you have to be from a certain circuit to be able to organize a tournament in Italy, which seems ridiculous to me, but too bad for them. It makes me feel sorry for the Italian players.”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: Can we say that the FIP prevented the APT from organizing an event in Italy?

Fabrice Pastor:“The International Federation and the Italian Tennis Federation have pressured the mayors of both cities so that the APT cannot play there. The players and the press need to realize what is going on. It's just me talking about it. It may not be very formal, but we have to talk about it. The federations are there to grow the sport, not to get money or find commercial agreements. I think it's dramatic."

“No one is going to stop the APT Padel Round. We will be in all the countries that want us. We will reach 18 countries, which is huge. It will be a lot of tournaments, with also new players coming from other circuits, like here in Tenerife.”

If you are Spanish speaking, here is the interview in Spanish:

From his names, we can guess his Spanish and Italian origins. Lorenzo is a multilingual passionate about sports: journalism by vocation and events by worship are his two legs. He is the international gentleman of Padel Magazine. You will often see it on the various international competitions, but also on the major French events. @eyeofpadel on Instagram to see his best photos of padel !