Padel is going through a period of great tension and Franco Stupaczuk, current 5th world player and teammate of Juan Lebrón, wanted to share his point of view through a open letter. The Argentinian returns to the players' decision to boycott the Gijon tournament, contractual issues and the future of the circuit. Between support for the players' association (PPA) and gratitude towards Premier Padel and the FIP, he defends an approach based on the Dialogue and cohesion for the evolution of sport.

Check out his full message and explanations of a situation that could redefining the future of professional padel :

Let me speak sincerely and from the heart.

The situation that padel is currently going through is very painful and worrying. We are all saddened not to have been present in Gijón, but I still want to congratulate the spectators for filling the stands and supporting the sport, both on site and via streaming.

Knowing that not everyone is necessarily aware of what is happening, I would like to present two situations that have occurred recently.

A few weeks ago, many players made the sad decision (we didn't want to get to this point) not to register for the Gijón tournament, as a measure to try to achieve some sporting changes that have been modified for 2024 and that we consider essential for the future of our sport.

After these events, the question arose whether or not we should register for the next tournament, which will take place in Cancun next week.

I assure you that the players want to play in all the tournaments and that this situation is very delicate.

Personally, I won't deny that I had many doubts about the decision to make.

I greatly appreciate the luck we have to have the PPA, our players' association, which fights every day for the good of athletes and plays a fundamental role in the development of our professional careers.

However, I would also like to highlight the effort made by Premier Padel, the FIP, sponsors and tournament promoters, who play a key role in the international growth of our sport.

After taking all these elements into account, I decided freely of not being in Gijón (without knowing if it was a mistake) and now I choose to register for the Cancún tournament, because I believe that this situation can be resolved through dialogue.

Whether this is a mistake or not, I also don't know, but it is a carefully considered decision taking into account all factors.

The reality is that we don't know all the details of our contractual situation. That's why I decided to consult a juridique cabinet to analyze the situation, and they sent me a detailed report in which they advised to participate in upcoming tournaments due to the risks legal, civil, commercial and sporting that this decision could entail, as well as personal economic and financial consequences which would result from it.

I have shared this recommendation with other players so that they have all the necessary information and can make the decision they deem most appropriate.

In addition, the FIP and Premier Padel sent us a signed letter proposing to sit down with us to negotiate and try to reach an agreement. I think it is an important step and I have taken it into account as well.

I fully respect all the players who decided to not register for the Cancun tournament. But I also ask that my decision and that of Juan to participate are respected.

I assure you that We are not seeking, in any case, to gain a sporting advantage from this situation.. On the contrary, if in the future it is decided that Cancun is not a tournament counting for the ranking, we will accept it. Or if we have to, later, give up playing a P2 tournament to allow other players to recover the points they could not have obtained in Mexico, we will do so.

This is not about points or prize money, it is about a decision made for much deeper reasons.

Public, promoters, players, organizations, etc.: please we are one young sport, with enormous potential; but we must continue to build it together and continue our efforts to find a cohabitation path which allows padel to become universal and Olympic.

Let's solve this TOGETHER.

stupa.

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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