Present in Bordeaux as part of the First P2000 in 2026, Laurent Aznar, president of the Federal Commission Padel, went into great detail regulatory developments strategic orientations and work in progress around French padel. A unique season, marked by numerous adjustments, both short and medium term.

A pivotal 2026 season for the competition

« 2026 is a rather special year"With quite a few new features, changes, and new categories," announces Laurent Aznar. The objective is clear: adapting the federal framework to the rapid expansion of padel, while structuring the practice at all levels.

One of the first projects concerns the competition guidewhich will evolve from the March 1, 2026.

The official arrival of the P50

Among the most anticipated announcements is the introduction of the P50 tournament.
« P50s will only be eligible for type approval from March 1st."Since the homologation rights were approved by the Federation's General Assembly last weekend."

ranking cuts will be as follows:

  • 10,000 maximum in men
  • 1,000 maximum in women

« The highly anticipated P50 arrives"But that's not all," he clarifies.

The return of cuts in mixed tournaments

Another important development: the reintroduction of cuts in mixed crops.
"We had liberalized the cuts to encourage women's participation, but The feedback was not positive."Some players weren't always playing fair and sometimes distorted the competition. Indeed, you could find some very good players in the P25 category. That wasn't the initial objective."

Result :

  • Return of the P25, P50 and mixed P100 cuts
  • No cuts in mixed P250, in order to guarantee a tournament open to all

« The P250 remains the top category for mixed riding."So that everyone can at least play one mixed doubles match during the season."

Revision of the points scales

La reform of the points system constitutes the third major axis.
« We want to better value the passage of the towerToday, there wasn't enough of a gap between a finalist and a semi-finalist.

The scales will therefore be readjusted across all categorieswith a more progressive and fairer approach.

Therefore, for example, there will be a much greater incentive to play a semi-final in terms of points than to stop in the quarter-final.

Towards an overhaul of the elite circuit starting in 2027

The ongoing discussions go further and concern the very structure of the elite circuit, with possible application from September 2026 for the 2027 sports season.

A shared observation:
« The P1000s are becoming increasingly local"And there's a risk that the best players will no longer travel to the P1500 and P2000 levels."

The commission's proposal is as follows:

  • The P1500s would become P2000s
  • The P2000s would become P3000s
  • Removal of category P1500

« The number would remain unchanged : 8 tournaments for the old P1500 format, and 4 P3000 as a replacement for the current P2000s, in addition to the French Championships, which remain at 3000 point »

These developments imply a prize money increase, subject to validation by office and federal committee.

The special case of the French Championships

The question of status of the French Championship remains open.
« It's not over yet.There is still debate about whether the French championship should remain at 3000 points or go beyond that.

A reflection fueled by the disparity of regional levelsobserved during the final stages.

A single license starting in September 2026

Another key decision by the FFT General Assembly: the creation of a single license.
« From the 2026-2027 season onwards, there will only be one license. Exit the padel license and the beach license. »

License multi-rackets will now include:

  • tennis
  • Padel
  • beach tennis
  • Pickleball

The price will remain fixed at 33 Euros, without an increase.
« It's a choice for readability and simplification."even though there is a difference compared to the old padel license at 26 euros."

The fear of a loss of statistical readability is put into perspective.
« We will no longer have the exact number of padel licensees"But we will continue to assess the number of participants through competitions, court rentals, and TEN'UP data."

Limiting the number of P1000

About the P1000The Federation wishes to maintain a management by the leagues.
« The leagues know the clubs better"And we want high-quality competitions."

Quotas are being considered to avoid saturation:

  • Approximately 5 P1000 men per weekend
  • 2 Women's P1000
  • Speaking on approximately 35 weekends

Adjustments may still be necessary, particularly during weekends. National 1 or National 2.

Specifically, the FFT is considering, for example, offering P1000 tournaments during the French Padel Club Championships.

Combating strategic withdrawals

A problem regularly raised by players concerns the last minute cancellations, linked to the points tiers.
« Players are sometimes too focused on pointsand some withdraw when a certain threshold is no longer reached.

A phenomenon deemed inequitable for those who remain.
« We are working on a solution to limit these adverse effects.because it is the players present who suffer the consequences.

Adjustments to come for young people

Last project mentioned: the youth pricing scales.
« Giving too many points to young people can put them in difficulty"Since there is only one youth/senior ranking."

A downward revision of the scales is under study, in conjunction with federal sports representatives.

« Many things are underwayBecause padel is booming. Our goal is to structure it as best as possible, taking into account the players return to the field »

Present throughout the weekend in Bordeaux, Laurent Aznar insists on the importance of staying in touch with the field.
« I come to tournaments to listen"To understand what works and what needs to change."

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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