What was supposed to be a padel party in the heart of the Plaza Mayor of Valladolid has turned into a real physical and mental challenge for the tournament players. While the venue remains spectacular, the extreme conditions met this week gave rise to a real debate within the circuit.

A quarter-final played in 40 degree heat

Friday, at 17 p.m., Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto fought for more than 1 hour and 50 minutes to defeat Cardona and Augsburger, in a stifling match on all levels (7/6 7/6). Under a blazing sun, the spectators tried as best they could to protect themselves with fans or hats. Some even had to leave the stands, unable to bear the crushing heat amplified by the stands and the glass of the slopes, a real greenhouse effect for players.

Galán, despite being the winner, did not mince his words at the press conference: “We have to recover from these inhumane and unsanitary conditions. " An observation shared by its Argentinian partner: “The tension of the competition takes your breath away. And with that black outdoor carpet, you take the full brunt of the heat when you pass through the benches.”

Level matches, poor play?

This climate has direct consequences on the game. Players are hesitant to play at height, fearing the devastating smashes facilitated by the heat. We therefore see much lower matches, made up of quick volleys, with less tactical varietySome observers even denounce games that lack technical richness, leveling the levels, as evidenced by the fine resistance of the Deus brothers against Jon Sanz and Momo Gonzalez, players who are on paper better.

We are beginning to hear voices calling for change: “Why not impose slower balls or avoid certain courts that are too fast?” A legitimate question as the game readability and player safety sometimes seem compromised.

An open debate on the future of outdoor padel

This edition of Valladolid P2 therefore relaunches a fundamental reflection on the limits of outdoor padel in extreme conditions. While the image is beautiful, what can we say about the game when the best in the world have to struggle to breathe or hit a ball? And when the heat erases the technical differences between players...

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 !

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