We have already talked about that, professional players do not validate the new calendar du World Padel Tour, and they make it known via PPA.

Here the communicated, translated by us.

The Association of Padel Professional (PPA) would like to communicate the following information regarding the official competition calendar for the 2023 season presented by the World Padel Tour :

1-. Both the content and the form of the official calendar do not respect several essential clauses included in the contracts signed individually by the players of padel professionals, both for those who usually participate directly in the main draw and for those who start with the qualifying rounds.

2-. First, the new calendar presented, without consultation, four types of tournaments (Master, Open 1000, Open 500 and Master Final) while the contracts with the players only provide for three types of mandatory tournaments (Master, Open and Master Final). These are undoubtedly four different types of tournaments, as each of them has its own technical characteristics and awards different points and prizes.
In this regard, clause 28 of the contract stipulates that “the player has the right and the obligation to participate in the tournaments of padel and to the other activities that make up the WPT circuit according to the terms and conditions defined in this contract”. Based on this clause, the players under contract asked the WPT to clarify which of the Open categories is the newly incorporated one, in order to be released from the obligation to participate in it.

3.- According to article 13.5 of the contract, it is established that the “dates and places” of the events can be modified with respect to the initially planned calendar, provided that the notification is made within 7 days preceding the planned start of the event. the event. What is in no way envisaged is the inclusion of new events not appearing in the official Calendar.

4-. The players have been informed by the WPT that the technical rules and regulations will be approved during the season which is about to start. On the side of the PPA, we would like to recall that the said contract establishes in its article 12 that the regulatory framework must be approved before the start of the season, adding that any subsequent modification will only take effect during the following season. This is, logically, to avoid imbalances and attacks on the basic principles of any sporting competition that could be generated by changes approved and applied during the season. Therefore, players are not obligated to accept regulatory and/or technical changes that are approved and/or communicated once the season has started.

5-. The official calendar presented by the WPT for the 2023 season does not comply with what is indicated in the contracts with the players with regard to the deadline to be respected between the official communication of the said calendar and the first tournament of the season. The season will start on February 10 and therefore the period of one month between the announcement of the calendar and the official start will not have elapsed. This is explained in article 10 of the Contract, which stipulates the express obligation “to approve the competition calendar, which will be published in such a way that it can be known officially in good time by the players, and systematically at least one month before the start of the season”.

There is no doubt from the above that this is a clear breach of contract by the WPT, so players with active contracts have no commitment to participate in tournaments for which the minimum period established between the announcement of the official calendar and the start of the competition in question has manifestly not been respected. Each player, individually, will decide whether or not to participate according to their needs to adapt their physical, technical and mental preparation to the tournaments that will take place on these dates, since the official calendar for 2023 indicates that the men's qualifying phase for the Rioja Open tournament 1000 will take place from Friday February 10 to Sunday February 12, while the qualifying phase for the Chile Open 1000 tournament will take place between February 13 and 15.

We remind you that the calendar was officially communicated to the players on January 18. In this way, the players who must participate in the qualifying phase find themselves in a position of inferiority compared to those who will have the time necessary to prepare properly.

6-. It should be remembered that to this day, the WPT maintains its decision to discriminate, oppose and restrict the right to participate in its events to players who had not formalized their relationship with the circuit by contract, and who, as we know , have historically played without a contract and without any problems.
As we have already denounced on previous occasions, this unilateral decision is of a gravity without comparison, not only in the history of sport in Spain, but in any country considered democratic.

7-. Given the importance of the facts that we are reporting, we have requested the mediation and assistance of sports and public institutions. In particular, that of the Superior Sports Council, because we understand that the interests and unilateral decisions of a private organization like the WPT, totally alien to the guiding principles of sport, cannot violate fundamental rights, in particular the obligation constitutional power of the public authorities to promote physical education and sports.

8-. The PPA would like to remind all WPT event promoters, sponsors, partners, suppliers, etc., that these unilateral decisions by the Tour distort competition by preventing all players from competing on equal terms. Therefore, the competition, in which they all have a stake and which they finance, will not meet all the requirements that a sporting event must meet, in particular equal treatment for all athletes. We advocate that all help to ensure that players who the private promoter understands are interfering with their private business decisions and who have nothing to do with the interests of the padel as a sport are not discriminated against and expelled from the WPT.

9-. If these unilaterally adopted decisions are not modified, on behalf of the PPA we warn the WPT, event organizers, sponsors, partners, suppliers, etc, that all professional players affiliated with the PPA show our disagreement absolute and our discomfort with an organization that aims to eliminate some of our colleagues. We would like to remind you that the PPA is not a professional organization, exercising a dominant position and without any prior negotiation.

In addition, we remind you that the PPA will study all legal measures, however important, that our legal system or that of a third country can provide, always with the aim of defending our peers as well as the padel in general.

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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