QUALISPORT looks back at the development of padel in France, which, according to Emelyne Rivière, the Director of Babolat Padel, enjoys a “certainly unique growth in all sports".

After experiencing development in Spanish-speaking countries during the 1980s, padel is now experiencing significant growth in many countries (Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, France, etc.). It has a total of more than 16 million (FFT Practical Guide) players worldwide. Spain (where padel has supplanted tennis) remains the leading country with 4 million players and more than 10 tracks installed.

The Covid has not slowed down a development described as “dazzling”. A snowshoe manufacturer assures us that he "doubles its turnover every year ", never seen.

The International Padel Federation brings together 44 federations. Padel has become very professional very quickly and there are 3 very high level circuits: World Padel Tour (run by a subsidiary of Estrella Damm), theAPT Padel Tour (created by Fabrice Pastor, former professional padel player and Monegasque entrepreneur) and recently Premier Padel, the official circuit of the International Federation of Padel (FIP). Each circuit manages its own scoring system to perform its rankings.

In France, the number of players is estimated at 150 and there are a thousand padel courts. In recent years, around 000 have been built per year. A figure that should accelerate with the federation's project to double the number of facilities by 200. For Eric POINSIGNON of CONCA SPORT " The development of padel is currently mainly driven by the private sector, whether it is individuals who want to equip themselves with a personal court or companies that are created around padel. However, many clubs and institutions are finding out more and the situation should balance out between public and private. ».

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