A new fracture seems to be emerging in the world of professional padel. The circuit Premier Padel, led by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, recently sent a private letter to players to denounce certain actions of theProfessional Players Association (PPA). This missive, revealed by Relief, highlights tensions between the two entities and highlights concerns about the future of professional padel.

A letter to alert

The letter, written by a renowned law firm and sent individually to players, expresses the "great concern" of Premier Padel against the current management of the PPA. According to the Qatari circuit, since the arrival of CEO Carlos Alonso, the union has adopted a posture deemed "belligerent".

Premier Padel accuses the PPA in particular of wanting to disrupt the existing model: "It seems that the only current concern of the PPA leaders is to change the model. They are sending messages indicating that the PPA (or perhaps they personally) must take control of the entire sport of padel: economic model, tournament structure, ranking, calendar..."

Risks to the project

According to Premier Padel, this situation jeopardizes the very foundations of the project, which was nevertheless accepted by all parties a short while ago. "The change in the management of the PPA, carried out personally by its leaders, is of such magnitude that it endangers everything that has been built so far," indicates the letter.

Sponsors and investors, key in the development of padel, would also have expressed their concerns. Some initiatives would be put on "pause", directly affecting the financing of tournaments and, by extension, the players themselves.

Accusations widely contested

Premier Padel also refutes several accusations made by the PPA, including the one that players are not involved in important decisions, such as the ranking or the calendar. "It was said that the players did not participate in the ranking. This is false. Since the first day, a committee was formed with representatives of the players where all decisions were taken unanimously between the FIP, Premier Padel and PPA.

Another disputed accusation concerns the supposed obligation for players to accept the decisions of the circuit. "To say that Premier Padel imposing its decisions is a false and unjust accusation, which is only justified by a lack of knowledge of our common history."

The Ghost of the Past

To Premier Padel, these tensions recall a time when professional padel struggled to structure itself: "In six months, only tensions have been generated. The world of padel is beginning to perceive a potential risk and to remember the blockages of the past, responsible for the delay in the professional development of this sport."

What outcome?

In front of this situation, Premier Padel warns that it could review its relations with the PPA: "We will be forced to reassess the legal basis on which we make our funding and contributions to the PPA."

This letter highlights deep divergences on the governance of padel. While the sport has experienced exponential growth in recent years, these tensions could slow its development. The players, who find themselves at the center of this tug-of-war, will have to quickly decide which model they want to move towards.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

On the same subject

Tags