It is a disturbing and well documented article published on January 11 by our Spanish colleagues from PadelInside. Its title: “Tennis will take control of padel in 2023: Luigi Carraro and the Trojan Horse” (El tenis tomará el control del pádel en 2023: Luigi Carraro y el Caballo de Troya). The article is illustrated with a drawing representing a small fish, the FIP (International Padel Federation), about to be swallowed by a big fish, the ITF (International Tennis Federation).

This all follows the failed attempt last November to ITF Takeover of World Padel, to the detriment of the federation that has managed this sport for 31 years, the FIP. But after an outcry from the world of padel, the ITF General Assembly saw the tennis federations reject the proposal of President David Haggerty. After this favorable outcome, the president of the FIP Luigi Carraro was delighted with this “stinging defeat” from the ITF and its president, hailing “a victory for the independence and integrity of sport”.

A simple battle in an uncertain war

But today, PadelInside puts things in perspective, suggesting that the November episode is just one battle in a war that may well continue and whose outcome is uncertain.

First of all PadelInside reveals that the rejection of David Haggerty's attempt was not as clear-cut as one might have thought: "For the resolution to be approved, it was necessary to reach 66% of the votes of the Assembly... And the result was 57,48% in favor of changing the statutes and including padel and 42,52% against," the Spanish site points out. In short, a majority of tennis federations were ready to take on padel, which only owed its salvation to the fact that a qualified majority of two-thirds is necessary, according to the ITF statutes.

In addition to padel, the ITF also wanted to take over the governance of another racket sport, pickleball. The next time it tries, it may no longer be in the ITF's sights, which could change the situation... Not to mention an improbable change in the ITF rules that would make a simple majority sufficient and would condemn the independence of padel.

Another major issue, likely to call into question the current governance of padel, is the prospect of this sport becoming Olympic as soon as possible. But for this to happen, the FIP must necessarily become a full member of the World Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), of which it is currently only an associate member.

To do this, PadelInside cites several conditions, including the change of name of the FIP: in fact, the acronym FIP is already taken by the International Polo Federation, while the International Basque Pelota Federation is called FIPV… Another very important condition: that padel and tennis are two clearly differentiated sports, which can only be established through a collaboration between the FIP and… the ITF.

Particularly troubled waters

Such a collaboration would have been started in 2019, understands PadelInside, and an agreement reached, according to the president of the FIP. But the document signed by the FIP and the ITF would never have been made public, despite the request of several national padel federations. In the meantime, we know that padel will not be Olympic in 2024 and probably not in 2028 either.

Although promised a good growth, our sport is still a small fish which swims, even today, in particularly troubled waters. He escaped the ITF shark at the end of 2022, but the latter has long teeth and could well go back on the hunt quickly.

The International Padel Federation believes it has found a welcoming port in the waters of the Persian Gulf, where another big fish in world sport reigns supreme: Qatar. Miraculous catch or dangerous game?

 More details in the article PadelInside 

After 40 years of tennis, Jérôme fell into the padel pot in 2018. Since then, he thinks about it every morning while shaving… but never shaves with a pala in hand! A journalist in Alsace, his only ambition is to share his passion with you, whether you speak French, Italian, Spanish or English.

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