For the past month, we have been analyzing the dynamics of padel in France for you: the profile of its members et the distribution of land in France notably. Today, we are going to focus on the frequency of play of padelists in the country, as well as the relationship they have with the competition.

In this study, 18.000 licensees are taken into account, those who declared padel as their main practice, whether in mainland France or in the overseas departments.

Playing padel: twice rather than once

If padel is so popular, it is because it is much more friendly than tennis and the margin for improvement is greater than in other racket sports. For this reason, the padelists are more often present on the padel courts than the tennis players.

The statistics speak for themselves: 49% of padel players in France say they play several times a week, against only 29% of tennis players.

And if these data are already surprising, it must be added that 37% of players play at least once a week, compared to this time, 51% of tennis players. In short, the padelists go to the padel courts more often than the tennis players on the tennis courts.

Competition: the driving force of padel players

Obviously, in addition to playing regularly during the week, padel licensees particularly like competition. More than half of padel licensees play tournaments, but above all, 61% of multi-racket licensees who play padel compete.

What is interesting to note is that tennis players are very present in padel tournaments. More and more tennis players join the benches of the padel courts. And among the multi-racket licensees practicing padel, we find 40% of 2rd and 3rd seriess, which, for the most part, are found in padel tournaments.

It is clear that competition is a real driving force when it comes to the practice of padel. For some, the number of 75.000 competitors should be reached by 2024, only 25 less than in Spain, a country with around 2.5 million practitioners! Proof that practitioners in France are more focused on competition than our neighbors on the other side of the Pyrenees.

75 padel competitors in 000 in France?

No more “small tournaments” in France

Although we do not have the statistics for the year 2023, the trend in recent years nevertheless shows that the majority of tournaments in France are P100 and P250. While they are easier for clubs to organize, because the prize money is not obligatory, they are also easier to complete. Indeed, the number of amateur players present in tournaments is higher.

It must be said that for the P100 and P250, it is local players who make the trip, unlike the “big tournaments”, where the teams come from almost everywhere in France.

This being said, the P1000, P1500 and P2000 calendar for the year 2024 has been released, and the number of “prestigious” tournaments is greater. The FFT, which is continuing its call for tenders to fill the last slots of the first semester, has already filled the majority of its weekends.

Calendar of padel tournaments in 2024

Clearly, padel has a bright future ahead of it in France, where its addictive side encourages players to go to the courts several times a week. Players who often come from tennis and who particularly appreciate competition.

Gwenaelle Souyri

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

On the same subject

Tags