Mediterranean Games: Medals but no prize money for padel

For his first appearance at Mediterranean Games Padel has brought historic medals to Taranto, but clearly no check involved The technical regulations of the competition do not provide for any prize money for the players, a situation that contrasts sharply with the professional circuit and even with other major multi-sport events.

This information also helps to better understand the stakes of this first edition and, perhaps, in part, the absence of the majority of the very best players in the world .

Medals and diplomas, but no prize money

The rules for Taranto 2026 are specific regarding rewards. Gold, silver and bronze awards are distributed in men's, women's and mixed competitions, while players ranked from fourth to eighth place also receive a diploma.

However, No financial allocation appears in the technical manual. .

We also did not identify any prize money awarded to padel tournament medalists in the official Taranto 2026 information.

For professionals accustomed to Premier Padel and at the CUPRA FIP Tour , where tournaments distribute prize money, the economic equation is therefore very different: in Taranto, the reward provided by the organization is primarily sporting.

At the Olympic Games, France contributes up to 80,000 euros.

The comparison with the Olympic and Paralympic Games is interesting, even if the two events obviously do not have the same status or the same resources.

For the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Milan-Cortina 2026 The French state pays its medal recipients 80,000 euros for gold, 40,000 euros for silver and 20,000 euros for bronze These bonuses are identical to those put in place for Paris 2024 and are cumulative when an athlete wins several medals.

However, be aware of the fundamental difference: This is not prize money paid by the Games organizers. but bonuses paid by the French state to its Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

In Taranto, no comparable bonus intended for French padel players has been publicly identified in the official sources consulted.

The FIP wanted to attract the best players.

This is where the subject becomes interesting.

When she announced the arrival of padel at the Mediterranean Games, the International Federation of Padel specified that the competition had been integrated into the official FIP professional calendar to encourage the participation of elite athletes .

The ambition was therefore clear.

But when you look at the players actually present in Taranto, the lineup is still far from that of a major tournament. Premier Padel.

For men, the main Spanish references are Pol Hernandez and Guille Collado , around 35th in the world rankings, accompanied notably by David Gala and José Diestro. On the French side, Bastien Blanqué, Dylan Guichard, Yoan Boronad and Timéo Fonteny were selected.

Therefore, the main male global leaders are not present.

In the women's competition, the level is higher, particularly with Sofia Araújo, world number 8 , as well as former world number 1 Lucía Sainz and Patty Llaguno and several players in the top 30. Araújo is also the highest ranked player in the entire competition.

So this is far from a tournament without top-tier players, but The vast majority of the world's elite did not make the trip. .

Could the absence of prize money explain it?

It would be too categorical to establish a direct link between the absence of prize money and the choice of the world's best not to participate.

No public statement from the main absentees allows us, to our knowledge, to confirm this.

Corn (Mais) the equation can legitimately be posed .

A professional player builds their season around tournaments that allow them to earn points, prize money, and fulfill their sporting and commercial obligations. The Mediterranean Games offer a historic medal and the opportunity to represent one's country, but No official financial allocation is announced in the regulations. .

For a discipline that is still trying to establish this type of event in its calendar, the sporting and symbolic appeal must therefore compensate for the lack of direct remuneration.

A first that nevertheless goes beyond the financial question

However, the outcome cannot be reduced to prize money alone.

The FIP announced 88 players representing 18 countries for this first edition, with three competitions and the first Mediterranean medals in the history of padel.

Some emerging nations benefit particularly from international exposure rarely available elsewhere. Tunisia, for example, is competing in its first international national team competition in Taranto, for both men and women.

The tournament is also being broadcast on a large scale, as the FIP announces availability on Eurovision Sport in 244 countries and territories .

For this first one, the interest lies elsewhere: a medal, a national jersey and a place in the history of the Mediterranean Games .

One question remains for future editions: if padel wants to make this event a regular draw for the very best female and male players in the world, Will the prestige of the medal alone be enough?

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.