The French Tennis Federation highlighted its results on the development of padel in France. Figures which confirm the very good performance of our sport.

A small but strong start

In 2014, the FFT obtained the ministerial delegation to represent the padel in France. In its early years, the FFT invested modestly in this sport.

Nevertheless, in 2015, she achieved a new coup by offering the padel a national and international window with no equivalence in the world by providing a padel at Roland Garros throughout the fortnight.

At the same time, the padel begins to take root in France and in Europe. Clubs padel are starting to emerge all over the country.

2018: the start of major works

2018 is a very special year: the FFT clearly indicates that it wants to invest in padel. Hubert Picquier becomes the strong man of padel French. He breathes “a new dynamic“, Starting big projects such as teaching, organization and ambition”a territorial network" of padel French.

"There will be a before and after 2018. The padel French can be sure. With the President of the French Tennis Federation, Bernard Giudicelli, we firmly believe in the development of this sport”Explains the new elected representative in charge of padel.

“We're going to go all out”

In fact, the FFT is starting to look into the matter padel in clubs from October 2017. Out of 134 projects subsidized by the FFT, 26 concern padel for a total budget of 54 million Euros.

In addition to financial aid, the FFT tackles the administrative framing of land padel, tournament organizations, licenses and launches in 2019, the first edition of its elite circuit: the FFT PADEL TOUR.

A circuit whose objective is to boost the development of padel in France via increased communication. The investments are heavy. But the circuit may not have met with the expected success so far.

The specifications in 2019 sent to the clubs to host a stage of the FFT PADEL TOUR was perhaps too much to bear as well.

For the next editions, a strategic reorientation is planned: more tournaments in central public places, more communication ...

And let's remember, she wants to offer her elite circuit retransmissions worthy of World Padel Tour via its new promotional tool: FFT TV.

The second edition has been canceled due to the health crisis, but we hope that 2021 will allow us to have a new edition of this circuit.

80 practitioners in 000

Barely 6 years ago, we did not exceed 10.000 practitioners. Today, the FFT estimates at 80.000 the number of practitioners of padel.

That is an increase of 700%!

At the start of the year, there were 314 places where the padel could be practiced. 211 clubs offer at least 2 golf courses padel or more. There too a very positive figure when we know that 3 years earlier, in 2016, we only had about fifty clubs with more than 2 fields.

The number of competitors in March 2020 is 10.159. A figure that may seem low, but still represents more than 10% of practitioners.

The French shine internationally

It is difficult to name them all as many French people have achieved small exploits on the international scene.

But we could talk about the incredible adventure of Alix Collombon, triple French champion of padel (with Jessica Ginier) and 30th player at World Padel Tour.

Among the men, Jérémy Scatena has succeeded in achieving his dream: to be part of the world top 100.

Finally last year, the French ladies team became the 2019 European champion in Rome. Admittedly, the favorite nations were not present, but France kept its rank. For men, a deserved second place.

France has everything to become a great nation of padel, at all levels !

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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