Pierrick Bihoue, President of the Ultra group, returns during the Cupra stage Padel Point Tour in Cap Esterel at the microphone of Alice de Caunes, on her adventure in the padel, the difficulties, but also the joys and the projects for 2023.

8 years ago, the beginning of the “Ultra adventure”

I have been a tennis instructor for almost 8 years. When the padel made its appearance, I was seduced by its playful aspect and its ease of teaching. It's a faster-learned sport, and it seemed obvious to me that it would appeal to society, not as a replacement for tennis, but alongside it.

I started with a track in a club and witnessed the growing popularity of this sport. Subsequently, I contributed to the installation of more pitches in the clubs of the Ultra group.

Financing and construction challenges

The first time I broached the subject with a bank, they confused the padel with the stand-up paddle. At first, it was complicated. I was lucky enough to find a local bank that already knew the padel and who believed in our project.

Today, it is simpler, because the town halls know this sport. There has been a clear evolution in recent years. There were many challenges, especially with the often Spanish manufacturers, and administrative problems such as VAT.

Build a plot of padel may seem easy, but there are many details to consider such as the type of terrain, the need for stringers or slopes, etc. It is experience that teaches you these things. In the beginning, mistakes are made by choosing the cheapest options, mistakes that new players in this field will make today.

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Expansion and company philosophy

Ultra works in 9 centres, and the idea is to implant padel in all centers. We are already at 16 tracks and we are planning 21 tracks from padel from here to 2023.

Our goal is to seize opportunities, mainly in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var. We want to stay close to our customers and get to know them, not just rent tracks. Our slogan is “Family spirit”, and we want to create a family atmosphere, bringing parents and children together in real sharing.

Le padel, a new Eldorado?

But all this is not done at any price. Many people see the padel like a new El Dorado in the world of sport. It is not so simple. Locations must be found where rents and construction costs are not too high in order to be able to offer attractive rates in the face of very competitive municipal projects.

In summary, the padel is an exciting sport with great potential for growth, but like any entrepreneurial venture, it presents challenges and requires a thoughtful and experienced approach.

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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