This sport still little known in France, has nevertheless known since 2013 and then in 2014 with the integration of Padel in the French Tennis Federation an unprecedented turn, both in terms of the number of participants and in terms of structure.

"The discipline is developing well and even faster than I imagined. Both in FFT clubs (90 short) and in private structures (155 short). As Jean-Pierre Dartevelle said the now ex-vice president of the French Tennis Federation.

He continues: “there is a real craze around padel and this is a new opportunity to get new members ”.

For several years, the number of tennis players has not increased, at best. The stake is clear, faced with this stagnation, tennis must relaunch thanks to the many construction projects of tennis courts. padel which are being implemented throughout the territory.

Of course, our Spanish neighbors are one step ahead of us, but this means that today everything remains to be done and that the prospects for development are immense. However, there is debate as to whether the padel and tennis are really complementary. Some skeptics believe that the two sports should be separated from each other. In a context where tennis appears to be aging for some and where others have rather reactionary positions vis-à-vis the padel, it appeared necessary to highlight the certain growth of padel in France.

The economy of padel step by step takes an important place in the tennis circle. Indeed, many players are involved and allow the democratization of this sport: practitioners, the FFT, equipment manufacturers, tennis clubs and licensees, manufacturers, private sports complexes, sponsors, former tennis players and some still in activity.

Nevertheless, the competitive framework of this sport is still underdeveloped in France. There remains a significant workload so that professional or amateur players can evolve in an environment conducive to practice. Prize money for tournaments and the economy around padel are still relatively weak and do not yet allow a living from this sport.

Antoine Sarroste

Antoine Sarroste studied the padel. He offers us his expertise around the development of padel in France.

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