Mathieu Squarta, the teacher padel du Padel Riviera Mougins has many ideas on how to communicate and develop the padel to the general public. Via the show Padel Talk hosted by Twenty By Ten, he hopes to see tennis pros face off against WPT pros.

Le FFT PADEL TOUR : A circuit with + and –

France is incredibly lucky and perhaps even unique in the history of padel worldwide: a Federation of padel who invests nearly 500.000 € in an elite circuit in his country.

This is, however, the case of FFT PADEL TOUR. A circuit that brings together the best French players and that allowed us to see some stages in public places.

But I wonder if the cost / publicity ratio for our sport is really good. According to the returns of the various players and clubs, it seems that the FFT PADEL TOUR, which is certainly a beautiful circuit, but especially for the best. First of all, the budget seems really very important for some stages and above all, we could devote this budget much more efficiently if we really wanted to develop the padel by the base.

One has the impression that the FFT is looking for glitter and attracting good reviews from the best. If that is perhaps how we should do politically, I do not think that this is the best method for the good of our sport, especially when we have such a capacity, such means, such an image. .

What is certain: with 500.000 € budget we can do much better. And the clubs prove it every day.

The base is the key

The base is the key to padel as with all other sports. This is what brings clubs to life, it is what allows our sport to truly develop.

Today we have the impression that the FFT is trying to structure itself from above, that is to say through competition, and that is not very logical. When we know that the FFT Padel Tour cost €500, we say to ourselves that it could have better used this money in the media and social networks to do mass advertising and show that this sport exists.

Which can be shocking from the point of view of a player, a club, a teacher of padel, it is the enormous financial investment of the private clubs in this part there for so many years in the French regions.

While this is obviously an obligation for clubs padel deprived of creating player and talking about padel in their region, we sometimes have the impression that these private clubs, and it must be said, a few municipal clubs are the only ones doing the work.

Help the best French players, of course, but haven't we put too much emphasis on top French players? Especially since I am not even sure that they see the color of all this investment.

The enormous work of the clubs must be supported by the FFT

The FFT is taking full advantage of this enormous work. Moreover, the FFT is benefiting from a wave of padel in Europe without precedent. She has a gigantic job to do. The pool of players from padel potential in France is enormous. We are in a very good global dynamic.

It must stimulate the base and not focus on the best French players.

Communicate much more in the media, launch a great communication policy to reach the general public.

As Fabien Veber said, great tennis players play padel. Today, these tennis players participate in the growth of our sport. We have the impression that the FFT does not activate this lever.

Why not play some of them during events in public places? Why not offer a real field of padel at Roland Garros?

Play tennis pros vs tennis pros World Padel Tour

With the budget the FFT has, why not change its approach in communication and promotion of padel ?

The federation could intervene by asking professional tennis players to play against players from the World Padel Tour. To see them get rolled by players from padel, while we know how good they are with a racquet, it could really create a buzz.

Set up why not a large exhibition World Padel Tour by mixing different stars with players from World Padel Tour, it will cost less and the impact on the general public will be immediate.

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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