In 2020, World Padel Tour held on despite the difficult conditions, it was courageous on the part of its actors. The tournaments that have taken place have given the feeling that a  new era of padel had arrived . The power of  Lebron / Galan  was seen as a new way of  practice  and  understand sport . But the change is not so radical since the Final Master was won by Tapia and… Belasteguin, 42 years old!

You have to know how to differentiate the playing styles at the different stages of the sport. Padel is changing, but not so fast. And in padel, physical abilities are not exclusive indicators of the level of play. Otherwise there would be no players aged 40 and over, with more or less the same ranking as 20 years ago. (and there are not few of them)

Evolution Padel Belasteguin WPT Madrid Open 2021

There have been other changes throughout the eras of padel. First in terms of rules since it was forbidden to serve and volley at the beginning. Then, the palas changed and they allowed players to hit harder.

The doors have been widened

Then we saw some tactical changes, with players like Mati Diaz and Cristian Gutiérrez trying to stop using the Australian service. We have also seen Lebron or Bela change sides to accommodate their partner. The changes are part of the evolution of this still young sport.

We realize today that the players leave the field much more easily than before. But we must also look at the regulatory side. The doors have been widened compared to a few years ago. Even though today's players are more coordinated and agile than before, this is not the only factor.

To conclude, there are different styles of play and this is what makes the beauty of this sport. And the change is not so brutal since at the WPT Adeslas Madrid Open 2021, in fast conditions as they like them, Lebron / Galan came off the board in quarter. Proof that everyone seems to be adapting to this new padel that is always going higher and faster.

 

source: Martin Echegaray Vales

Alexis Dutour

Alexis Dutour is a padel enthusiast. With his training in communication and marketing, he puts his skills at the service of padel to offer us articles that are always very interesting.

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