Does this face ring a bell? 
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is not only  president of PSG  : since 2022, it is also  president of Premier Padel , the international padel circuit. But why is such an influential man so interested in this sport?

Before becoming an extraordinary businessman,  Nasser Al-Khelaïfi  was a  top athlete . In the 90s, he was  professional tennis player , representing Qatar on international courts. Between 1992 and 2002, he participated in numerous secondary circuit tournaments in Europe and the Middle East. In 2002, for his final year of career, he obtained a  invitation to the ATP in Doha .
He lost in the first round, marking the end of his playing career... but the beginning of a great adventure combining business and sport.

A discovery of padel that changes everything

In the 2010s, while  padel is booming  In Spain and Latin America, Nasser discovered this hybrid sport, between squash and tennis, and fell completely under its spell.
In 2014, he became  President of the Qatari Tennis Federation , which also includes squash, badminton and now padel. Its mission:  growing padel in the Middle East But true to his ambition, he does not intend to stop there.

In 2022, the investment company  QSI  (Qatar Sports Investments), of which he is chairman, officially launches  Premier Padel , and organizes the first Major of the circuit in  Doha  .
Two years later,  Premier Padel absorb the World Padel Tour , unifying existing circuits to create  the world's leading circuit , with all the best players on the planet.

A global vision for a spectacular sport

Like the  international influence of PSG  in football,  Nasser Al-Khelaïfi aims to make padel a world-renowned sport .
Premier Padel multiplies prestigious tournaments in emblematic places:  the Foro Italico in Rome ,  Saint George's Palace in Barcelona , or  Roland-Garros in Paris .

 The Qatari businessman  has not only invested in a sport, but in  a vision  : that of a padel  global ,  popular  and especially  spectacular .

A success… still perfectible

 The mission appears to be on track , even if  the boycott of the beginning of 2025  shows that some parameters still need to be adjusted. But who knows?
In a few years,  Padel could well become as essential as football ...

 And you what do you think ? 
Please feel free to give your opinion in the comments and to support  Padel Talk  by liking this video if you liked the subject!

 See you next week for a new episode! 

On the same subject