Nasser Al-Khelaïfi confirms his great interest in the padel by launching a professional circuit of padel. As Like indicates the MARCA newspaper, It's about a real bomb in the world of padel which could bring about the end of World Padel Tour.

10 tournaments from 2022

The idea for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is to hit hard and fast. This is why, it should launch this year 10 tournaments of padel in the whole world. The locations have obviously not yet been announced. But we know that this professional circuit will be committed for a period of 2 years, i.e. until 2024.

This circuit should be done without the approval of the World Padel Tour. We remember the discussions between the President of PSG and the players who had started at the World Cup padel last November. A first date including Bela had spoken.

After the APT, Qatar returns to the ball

Le World Padel Tour, who was already watching Fabrice Pastor's circuit, the APT Padel Tower growing more and more, sees on its wing, a giant landing in the world of padel : Qatar.

And at its head, a Nasser Al-Khelaïfi who is also the Chairman of the board of directors of the Qatari group BeIn Media Group who may be a bit revengeful for having been grilled by Canal + which obtained the rights of the World Padel Tour end of 2021 somewhat to everyone's surprise.

For the one who is also the president of Qatar Padel Tennis Squash and Badminton Federation is an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

Especially since it remains on a very good dynamic since the world championships padel that took place in Doha last November.

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi luigi carraro worldwide padel 2020

The world of padel at dawn a big change?

Remember in 2012/2013, the World Padel Tour obtained the confidence of professional players against the former professional circuit of padel, Padel Pro Tour. A very particular period which resembles in obviously very different circumstances the moment we live in today.

Le World Padel Tour remains a young circuit. Remember that he was close enough in 2019 to be overtaken by the'International Padel Tour. Already, some professional players were hoping for a change. But the WPT had succeeded on the wire to avoid the end of its adventure.

After the emergence of the APT as a circuit parallel to the World Padel Tour, another enters the scene: the circuit of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. A tour that is supported by the Qatar sovereign wealth fund, owner of Paris Saint Germain (PSG), among others: QSI (Qatar Sports Investments).

The President of QSI therefore seems set to launch his circuit in 2022, even if the WPT players have an exclusive contract with the World Padel Tour until the end of 2023. For the moment, the 10 planned dates would be played on the beaches left free by the WPT. But given the content of the contract signed with the latter, do the players have the right to participate in another circuit, even if it is supported by the FIP?

Players picked up by many actors

Faced with a multitude of players (the WPT, QSI, the APT Padel Tour, but also the project of Lisandro Borges, and the new Next Gen), the players united several months ago and created in October the Professional Padel Association. An association supposed to help the players to structure themselves to allow them to decide together on their future. President Ale Galan, via his press release published today, seems to affirm that the future of the players will be played far from the World Padel Tour.

We therefore imagine that the WPT refuses that its players participate in the FIP/QSI circuit, even if it does not come to hinder the good performance of the calendar of the World Padel Tour in 2022. The President of the players' criticism of the organization has been strong and one wonders if a reversal is possible?

Are all the players on the same wavelength as the world number 1? Will the WPT succeed in regaining the advantage or will another circuit be able to win the bet? Will there be a 2022 season on the World Padel Tour ?

Lots of questions that remain unanswered, however, we hope to know more soon.

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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