Padel at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games... who wouldn't have dreamed of it? Unfortunately, as we know, the sport has not yet managed to integrate the catalogue. It must be said that, despite rapid popularization, padel has not yet reached its peak.

Very popular in France and other European countries, padel has made its nest on the continent. Not to mention South America, the birthplace of this sport, where it is also well anchored.

And yet, there will still be no padel at the 2024 Olympics… and obviously there won’t be any at the 2028 Olympic Games either, which will take place in Los Angeles. So why? Let's look at the rules !

The prerogatives of the International Olympic Committee

For a sport to be considered Olympic, it must:

  • Have an International Federation that adapts to the ethical requirements set by the IOC.
  • Strictly comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency's World Anti-Doping Code.
  • Make sure that athletes do not need to be supported by a machine to be able to perform the activity correctly.
  • Be practiced on at least four continents and in seventy-five countries to be part of the men's category, and on three continents and in forty countries for the women's teams.

In padel, there is an international federation, the FIP, so it is not a problematic point. Concerning doping, we suspect that there again, this should not be a problem. Third point, there again, padel does not require any machine so, everything corresponds for the moment.

Now, the last point is the Achilles heel of this sport. Why? Well, in 2022, FIP data showed that padel had men's and women's federations on five continents. However, only around fifty countries had athletes.

Therefore, padel cannot, at present, become an Olympic sport.

Padel Olympics

When will padel be at the Olympics?

As we already mentioned in an article, we will have to wait a little longer before hoping to find padel at the Olympic Games... Because, in fact, the next Olympic Games which will take place in 2028 in Los Angeles should not include the discipline in the catalog.

However, all is not lost since, according to rumors, padel could be included in the program of the 2032 Olympic Games which will take place in Brisbane. Australia, which was also the first country to host FIP ​​tournaments this year…

The only regret we can have regarding this late arrival of sport at the Olympic Games is that big names in the discipline will never be able to be Olympic medalists. Of course, we think of Fernando Belasteguin, whose career will end at the end of 2024… but also certainly at Paquito Navarro, Sanyo Gutierrez, Alejandra Salazar and, perhaps even Gemma Triay...

Gwenaelle Souyri

It was her brother who one day told her to accompany him to a padel court, since then, Gwenaëlle has never left the court. Except when it comes to going to watch the retransmission of Padel Magazine, World Padel Tour… or Premier Padel…or the French Championships. In short, she is a fan of this sport.

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