Le padel in vogue in France, but not everywhere…

Today in France, our good old padel is no longer a sport to present: it is everywhere. Even in the depths of the Aude countryside, the trails padel flower without difficulty. Indeed, according to FFT figures, there are no less than 593 clubs in France proposing padelIncluding 127 who have made it their main practice. However, equity between regions is not optimal. If the padel is very successful in the south of France, this is not necessarily the case in the north, such as in Normandy.

If we are going to look more precisely at the case of mainland France, it is important to emphasize that the padel begins to create its nest in the overseas departments, notably with the recent success of a P1000 ladies in Reunion which clearly demonstrates the new trend. However, we note that in Guadeloupe, Guyana or even New Caledonia, the padel has not yet really entered into the customs…

Occitania, the cradle of padel in France

What a vast region Occitanie is. Ranging from Toulouse to Montpellier, via Perpignan and Nîmes, the region brings together a good part of the ski slopes. padel French. Dozens of clubs padel went up there, almost everywhere in the area. And even today, club projects are multiplying. Currently, 20% of the tracks padel in France are located in Occitanie and no less than 15% of licensees. This is the region with the fewest participants per track: 58 per court compared to an average of 80 players per court for France.

A region at the gates of Spain, Occitanie was able to benefit from Spanish fervor more quickly than other geographical areas in France, such as Normandy, for example, which only has 3% of licensees padel and 2% of land…

This region also has the chance, every year, to host prestigious competitions. For two years now, the World Padel Tour has established itself in Toulouse, in a tournament which is increasingly attracting the French. Last September, the 4Padel of Toulouse hosted the French Championships for a long weekend.

Southern regions in pole position

If it seemed important to highlight Occitanie, there are several other regions in the south of France not to be forgotten: PACA, for example, Nouvelle Aquitaine or even Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes which are also part of the big names. The big black spot in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region remains the number of slopes in this territory. If a large part of the licensees practicing padel is located in this sector of France, the number of players per track remains very high.

On the Italian border side, there is no shortage of clubs either. As we already told you about, PACA is one of the historical precursors of padel In France. In a very dense region, solutions had to be found to establish tracks. Today, we combine the practical and the pleasant, by developing land… on the roofs of shopping centers. Yes, it is possible and it is an interesting solution to overcome the lack of space in certain cities and avoid touching the vegetation.

Île de France and the northern departments lagging behind

However, it is necessary to underline the great disparity present on French territory and in particular with regard to the north of France. The Paris region is seriously lacking in slopes. 114 players for a court of padel, this makes it penultimate in the class in terms of ratio, just after the ARA.

Is it the cold of winter, or the weather often not conducive to the practice of padel who are holding back these regions? Or perhaps their proximity to countries where the sport has not yet fully taken off? Several factors may come into play to explain the reasons for the absence of leads. The land price also plays a role. Find an investor, ready to spend a substantial sum to open a club, without any guarantee that the fever of padel wins the territory: this remains a risky bet.

However, we have noticed that in recent weeks, projects in the northern part of the country have multiplied. If the Urban franchise Padel should arrive in Puteaux, with no less than 14 tracks padel, the 4Padel will also consolidate in the north of the country, with 11 courts of padel planned near Rouen. This is a major new complex for the Le Five group network which recently expanded to Strasbourg, with no less than 14 tracks.

Little by little, the rise of padel wins the “hostile” lands of the north, to take its place, as it has been able to do in the south in recent years. The creation of these new complexes should make it possible to raise awareness and democratize this sport in these regions.

And allow it to continue to establish itself a little more on French territory.

Gwenaelle Souyri

It was his brother who one day told him to accompany him on a track. padel, since then, Gwenaëlle has never left the court. Except when it comes to going to watch the broadcast of Padel Magazine, World Padel Tour… or Premier Padel…or the French Championships. In short, she is a fan of this sport.