Padel is a growing sport in France. To better understand the directions and developments to come, we spoke with Stéphane Berrafato, Manager and Coordinator Padel within the French Tennis Federation.

It details the main modifications and creations of championships planned for the year 2024.

 1. Creation of the French U16 Championships in pairs 
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) wants to continue developing padel among young people. After the launch of competitions for under-18s in 2023, the French U16 championships will be launched in 2024. The aim is to create new vocations.

 2. Overhaul of the U14 formula 
Although the rate of young players and competitors remains relatively low (about 6%), a slight increase has been observed over the past year. Thus, in 2024, the FFT plans to review the formula of the championships for the under 14s, with an Interleague championship for boys and another for girls.

 3. Creation of the first French Championships over 45 years old in pairs 
A new competition for players aged 45 and over will be introduced, with regional phases.

 4. Creation of the first French Wheelchair Padel Championships 
A championship dedicated to wheelchair players will also be created, without regional phases and with a “Cut” type selection.

 5. Revisions to the rules and competition formulas 
The FFT is working on several adjustments, in particular with regard to the specifications of the P1500, the refereeing rules, and the rules for team competitions. Changes will also be made to Interclub competitions.

 6. Harmonization of the national calendar 
An effort is underway to harmonize the dates of the various competitions across all leagues, particularly for the R1 (Interclubs), the U16 & U18 regional championships, and the +45 regional championships. The number of P1500 tournaments will increase from 4 to 6 in 2024, while the number of P2000s will remain the same.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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