While uncertainties still hovered over the holding of the  Gijón Premier Padel P2 , the confirmation is now official: the event will indeed take place with  female and male paintings A source close to the case had already told us this, despite the wishes of some.  to cancel purely and simply  the tournament, or at least  to remove the men's event . Finally,  Both categories will be present in Gijón .

The announcement was made via a  official press release from the organizers , confirming that the event will take place  from February 24 to March 2  au  La Guía Sports Palace-President Adolfo Suárez , marking the first professional padel competition in Spain for the year 2025.

 A solid women's field, but a controversial absence from the men's Top 100 

In the women's category, the best players on the circuit will be there, with  Ari Sánchez-Paula Josemaría, Gemma Triay-Delfi Brea, Bea González-Claudia Fernández and Marta Ortega-Sofía Araújo , Among others.

However,  the total absence of players from the Men's Top 100  creates a lively controversy. Despite the presence of  Jaume Romera-Simone Cremona, Simone Iacovino-Lorenzo Di Giovanni and Tolito Aguirre-Gonza Alfonso , many fans feel that the level of the men's draw is well below expectations for such an event.

A historic boycott for the Premier Padel Gijón P2: NO TOP 100!

 Octagon Spain justifies itself, but fans protest 

Faced with criticism, Octagon Spain was keen to clarify its position by stating in its press release:

 “As promoter of the event, we do not have any decision-making power over the tournament registrations. We have made every effort to guarantee a competition worthy of a city like Gijón and a public as passionate as the Spanish.” 

Despite this clarification,  The supporters' grumbling does not weaken . Many express their frustration at the price of tickets, considered disproportionate to the men's field. Some demand  a discount , while others require  a full refund . Among them,  Javier Fernandez Alvarez  expresses his dissatisfaction:

 “Spectators who pay €52 to not see the players in the men's Top 100, when that's exactly why these prices are applied... In the end, we're going to see players who, in other tournaments, play in qualifying, with tickets at €10, but here, we have to pay €52. We're going to give discounts to promoters, municipalities, etc., but for the public, who are the ones financing the event, nothing... Everyone wins, and the public loses their money.” 

 A tense event 

If the organization claims that everything is in place to guarantee  a quality tournament , the absence of the men's Top 100 and the controversy surrounding ticket prices tarnish the image of the tournament even before it kicks off.  Will the organizers make a gesture towards the public?  The question remains unanswered, but pressure from fans continues to mount as the event approaches.

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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