Women's padel is progressing, but still remains in the shadows

A booming sport, padel aims to be accessible, friendly, intergenerational... and inclusive. Easy to play, fun, and often mixed, it is attracting more and more women around the world. However, when we take a closer look at professional, media, and economic structures, padel remains deeply unequalSo why does this very modern sport reproduce the classic mechanisms of exclusion of women's sport?

A sport that has everything to please women… in theory

Padel ticks all the boxes for an accessible sport: less physically demanding than tennis, based on tactics, positioning and team play. It is often perceived as more caring and more playful, which makes it an excellent gateway to sports practice, particularly for women who are under-represented in racket sports.

In clubs, the trend is changing. Many structures now offer reserved slots, beginners' course, or even exclusively women's tournamentsAt the local level, initiatives are multiplying to encourage women to take to the slopes.

But on a professional scale, the observation is more bitter.

Women's padel is progressing, but still remains in the shadows

Professional padel remains dominated by men

For years, professional padel has remained a man's business. The World Padel Tour (WPT), created in 2013, at least had the advantage of including women's categories from the start, but without ever giving them the same media or financial space as men.

Even worse, when Premier Padel will be launched in 2022, it is believed that the ladies' circuit will align with that of the men, notably with this strong institutional support from the International Federation of Padel. We must wait 2024 so that women can finally participate in the Major Roland Garros. Symbolically, Premier Padel doesn't really set an example.

A blatant media under-representation

The highlights, interviews, documentaries, broadcasts…are overwhelmingly devoted to men. However, the female level is very high. Players like Ariana Sánchez, Paula Josemaría, Gemma Triay, Bea González, Delfina Brea or, Tamara Icardo have nothing to envy their male counterparts.

Their game, often more tactical, more precise and more readable, offers a strategic richness sometimes superior to the power of men's exchanges. But despite these technical qualities, women's padel remains marginalized in the media space.

Initiatives are emerging to bridge the gap

Faced with these inequalities, individual and collective initiatives seek to restore visibility to women's padel. On social networks, influencers and collectives like "Padel Girl”, “Women Who Padel" or some sports coaches promote players, share training sessions, organize matches and generate interest among new players.

In clubs, more and more 100% women's tournaments are organized, the championships mixed are better supervised, and regional leagues are beginning to give a fairer place for women's competitions.

Some national federations, such as the FFT in France, are also working towards a better balance in terms of access, representation and development of young players.

Padel, a vector of emancipation?

Padel could become a space of emancipation for women who have not found their place in traditional sportsIts structure, its team spirit, the speed of progression it allows and its friendliness can make it a strong lever for inclusionBut this will not happen without commitment.

Because if padel really wants to embody a sport of its time, it still has a long way to go for women to have their full place thereThe ball is in the court of the organizers, the media, the sponsors... but also and above all the practitioners themselves, who must be more numerous to make themselves heard.