The 2025 Pacific Cup, padel at the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032…

THE AS Phénix in Tahiti made the guns speak during the International Club Cup Padel . In this interview, Alain Siu, President of the club, talks to us about the evolution of padel on the island, the infrastructures anti-cyclonic created to protect the courts, and ambitious projects like the Pacific Cup planned for April 2025 in partnership with the European Association of Clubs Padel . Padel at the Olympic Games: a goal This unique event could well make Tahiti a nerve center of padel in the Peaceful .

The adventure to go to Europe

We took 10 days, because you have to count 24 hours of flight , with a stopover at Los Angeles and a time difference of 12 hours In other words, when Europe gets up, we in Tahiti go to bed.
But we were lucky enough to stumble upon the Greenweez Paris Premier Padel Major during the first rounds of qualifying. This allowed us to acclimatize before coming to Malaga to start two days of training, followed by the club tournament.

Alain Siu Phénix The 2025 Pacific Cup, padel at the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032...

From Federer to padel

I have been playing tennis since 30 years and I am also president of the tennis federation and the tennis club Phoenix tennis and squash for so long. There is 5 years , during a trip, I wanted to buy a racket Roger Federer in memory of his retirement, but a friend suggested that I take an interest in the paddle . Thanks to this, we started with two courts in Tahiti, then we went to three, and soon we will open four new indoor courts , with a height of 9 meters and imposing structures, almost worthy of a palace.

Anti-cyclonic structures

Due to the weather conditions and the risk of cyclones, we have taken precautions to prevent storm damage. We have seen the effects of the Global warming , especially with winds at 200 km/h as during the storms in the Antilles and Reunion. This has pushed us to invest in anti-cyclonic structures , because the padel, with its glass walls, is sensitive to these climatic phenomena.

When the storm passes Belal In Reunion Island, padel courts were damaged, with broken windows. Today, some manufacturers offer models that are resistant to these winds, such as the Hurricane range with windows of 15 mm thick and sturdy posts, which makes us feel safe.

1000 members in the club

With the opening of the new courts, we hope to achieve the 1000 members by the end of the year. The craze for the paddle in Tahiti is simply incredible. I would never have imagined such growth in such a short time.

We will soon have as many members for padel as tennis licensees for the entire island. Other clubs in Tahiti are starting to take an interest in padel, with the installation of courts everywhere. This is truly the beginning of a great adventure for our island.

Training and competitions

We have signed a partnership with the Solano Academy Malaga, which is very well known for training young champions. A full-time instructor will be based in Tahiti, which will allow our members and young people from the Pacific – such as those from New Caledonia, New Zealand and Australia – to come and train in Tahiti.

We are riding the momentum created by the Paris Olympics , especially with the test of surf relocated to Teahupo'o , in Tahiti. In addition, the gold medal won by the Polynesian Kauli Vaast brought phenomenal visibility to our island.

With this momentum, I think it is time to organize a peaceful event in padel. Europe, South America, the United States and Africa are already well launched in padel, but here in the Pacific, everything remains to be done. Asia is only just beginning to take an interest in it, and I believe that padel has its place in this part of the world.

The Pacific Cup for April 2025

We have set the Pacific Cup for the last week of April 2025 . Delegations from Japan, Australia, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Chile and Panama will participate. We are finalizing registrations and partnerships with hotels, because Tahiti is a fairly expensive tourist destination.

Players will not browse 23 000 km only to play padel. We plan tourist activities, surfing, immersions in Polynesian culture, dances, and many other experiences to make their stay in Polynesia a unforgettable memory .

After Paris 2024 , the Olympic Games of 2028 will take place at Los Angeles , but without the padel. However, in 2032 , it will be the turn of Brisbane , in Australia, near the Pacific. With the Pacific Cup and the support of the neighboring islands, we will put pressure on the IOC so that the paddle be included. It would be a huge victory for our sport.

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.