Le World Padel Tour is no longer the only circuit to have the best players in the world. Premier Padel brings together in Qatar the stars of padel while the Getafe Challenger is currently taking place, inevitably emptied of some of its usual players.

The WPT had warned, if the players responded favorably to the sirens of the FIP / QSI, the circuit would not hesitate to seek financial reparations from the players.

With his press release on its official website (in Spanish), le World Padel Tour decided to come out of its silence to respond to the players, to the International Federation of padel and at QSI.

A silence to preserve the image of the circuit and that of all the players

The WPT explains its silence. It would be an assumed choice despite “thefalse, erroneous or self-serving information disseminated in recent weeks".

His silence was "in order to preserve the image of the Circuit and that of all the professional players who participate in it".

An argument that seems to us at this level a little light, and this for two reasons:

  • His own silence probably harmed him in reality. Indeed, one would think that to defend his image, he should have quickly positioned himself and explained the famous “false, erroneous information” which he talks about in the letter. And besides, the WPT does not explain what information it clearly refers to.
  • Finally, it seems unusual to hear the WPT want to “preserve the image of professional players” whereas the majority of players are in favor of Premier Padel. Moreover, remember that the circuit is not in its first crisis of disenchantment with professional players.

Warning BUT renewal proposal

This release will probably not restore the image of the WPT. Worse, it could even have the opposite effect.

Le World Padel Tour mixture of warnings and a proposal for renewal, rather astonishing.

Indeed, he says he is ready to reassess his first offer this year and basically to repeat the blow he had made in 2018 against the International Padel Tour, aligning at the level of prize-money in tournaments.

The circuit “maintains its contract renewal proposal presented to players in 2021 (…) and plans to update the current prize-money amounts with increases by 3 (Open) and 5 (Master) from this same year.”

Will this be enough? Unlikely. Indeed, many players have already denounced this way of always aligning themselves but not really being proactive...

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.