Le World Padel Tour (WPT) is the professional circuit of padel, as is the ATP (for men) or WTA (for women) circuit in tennis.

The only difference is that the WPT includes the ladies and gentlemen circuit.

The different types of tournaments

For a year, the World Padel Tour offers a new type of tournament: The “Challenger”

This is a tournament of padel du World Padel Tour but which is aimed at professional players who are not part of the world top 10. There too, the WPT takes again the politics of tennis with its “Futures” and “Challengers”.

The “Steps” of World Padel Tour correspond to the classic professional tournaments and finally the “Masters” are the tournaments of padel the best endowed in points as in financial gains.

Each year, World Padel Tour concludes his tournaments with a Super MASTER of padel which brings together the 8 best world pairs of padel. There too, like the Tennis Master.

On the other hand, the big novelty this year is the elimination of the chicken phases. In our opinion, it's a shame, because the most beautiful games were usually played in chicken.

However, all matches will be live streaming! And that's a very good thing. The other thing to consider: Players at the end of the year are tired. this new way of doing things may be better for players.

Le World Padel Tour opens

Until 2012, the old professional circuit the Padel Pro Tour rarely offered stages outside of Spanish-speaking countries.

Since 2013, the new circuit, called the World Padel Tour now offers up to 7 nations where there are international competitions of padel : USA, Argentina, Portugal, France, Belgium, Sweden, United Kingdom and Belgium.

In France, Sweden, United Kingdom and Belfique, it was Challenger or exhibition.

The “Exhibition” concerns mini tournaments of padel but that does not count for the classification. A way for the professional circuit to promote the padel. This was the case a few years ago in Brussels.

Le Padel and streaming

It's simple, from the quarter-finals, the World Padel Tour offers the matches live on its Youtube channel.

Small disappointment at this level, since the WPT offered streaming a year ago from the round of 8. The pro circuit of padel will he come back to this? Perhaps if one believes the many actors of the padel who do not understand how the WPT could reverse a sport that has never experienced such development in the world.

The same goes for the English lives… They haven't existed for a year. But here too, the progression of padel especially internationally will certainly force the WPT to review its copy.

Especially when you see the huge profession of the number of subscribers to the chain since 2013:

  • 09 / 2013 145
  • 10 / 2014 7660
  • 12 / 2015 32500
  • 12 / 2016 68000
  • 12 / 2017 107000

Le Padel and TV

Contrary to what is said, the padel is not a sport that is broadcast live on television channels.

Marca TV, Teledeporte and Canal Sports (RTVE) proposed until last year some niches for this sport. Most often summaries of tournaments a half-hour.

But since the end of last year, the World Padel Tour irregularly offered live broadcasts on the GOLTV channel (a young sports channel which also broadcasts US FOOT, X-Games, etc.) then more regularly live on Saturday and Sunday matches (Semi-finals and finals ).

High audiences for GOLTV that manages to accumulate close to 500.000 viewers per day. Figures that assure and reassure.

Jean-Marc Hérard and Franck Binisti - PADEL BUZZ / PADEL MAGAZINE

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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