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Unlike tennis, where players use a single ATP circuit (WTA for women), padel sets itself apart from its elder sibling through the plurality of its circuits around the world. To date, 2 major tours were present, sharing — not without tensions — the best players on the planet. The WPT (World Padel Tour) and the APT (American Padel Tour) were therefore the main flagships of international padel until a few months ago, when a newcomer made its appearance: Premier Padel, a brand-new, innovative circuit that gives far more room for manoeuvre to the sport's key players: the players. A look back at the success story of Premier Padel, the new flagship circuit of padel.
Perfect timing for the Premier Tour
When one mentions Premier Padel, one must inevitably start with its creator, a name well known in the world of sport, particularly around the French capital: Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, patron of QSI (Qatar Sport Investment) and chief executive of PSG. A fan of racket sports and padel in particular, the Qatari businessman had wanted to invest in padel for some time and found in Premier Padel an excellent opportunity to become part of a sport he loves so much.
In terms of timing, the decision to launch this new circuit at the start of 2022 was no coincidence. Indeed, strong tensions had arisen between the professional players' association (PPA) and the governing bodies of the World Padel Tour, over many issues, notably exclusivity contracts with the circuit and cash prizes far too low for a sport that is growing ever more in terms of audience. Almost all the players, led by the president of the players' association Alejandro Galan, expressed their discontent and did not hesitate to take the WPT to court in a case that is far from over. Regardless, several members of the world top 20 have already taken part in the first 2 tournaments of this circuit and have shown total support for this kind of initiative.
Alejandro Galan, world number 1 and president of the players' association (PPA)
QSI relies on its strengths: knowledge of the environment…
For its debut, Premier Padel opted for a simple yet highly effective approach: quality over quantity. For 2022, "only" 9 tournaments are organised under the stewardship of QSI, compared to around thirty for the WPT. But one must not forget that this circuit was set up in just a few months, from the creation of the logo to the search for sponsors and the complete organisation of the tournaments.
This rapid and near-perfect organisation is down to two key elements: knowledge and resources. Indeed, QSI is no stranger to managing major sporting institutions and organising large-scale events. The company has notably been at the helm of PSG since 2011, taking the club to another level in a very short space of time. The handball and women's football teams are also run by QSI. But Nasser Al-Khelaifi is also chief executive of the BeIn Sport group, a highly influential media group in Europe and the Middle East. In terms of sporting, administrative and financial management of a project, it is fair to say that the company has serious expertise and is not afraid to take on a challenge such as that of world padel.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Luigi Carraro, president of the International Padel Federation
And his virtually unlimited wealth
The second characteristic, and arguably the most important: resources. Indeed, QSI has at its disposal numerous means to organise events but also to convince people to take part in them. To persuade the FIP (International Padel Federation) to give their approval for the tournaments to be sanctioned and count towards the world rankings, the company had to commit a significant sum of money to guarantee their success. And it paid off rather well. Of the 9 planned tournaments, 4 "majors" will take place chronologically in Doha, Rome, Paris and Mexico. The first 2 have already taken place and were met with great success, with a captivated audience, proud players and delighted host organisations who benefited from the exposure.
But for the smooth running of the tournaments and to attract a large audience, it is essential to draw in players and convince them that the tournament is worth it. To that end, the organisers have put together a total cash prize of $525,000, far more than those offered by the WPT or even the APT, which tend to sit between $120,000 and $140,000. An additional motivation for players: competing in iconic venues of world sport such as the Foro Italico in Rome or Roland Garros in Paris. All these elements mean that the first Premier Padel tournaments are a success and set the direction for the years ahead.
The facilities of the Greenweez Paris Premier Padel Major, at Roland Garros
A viable and sustainable business model
As stated, QSI and Premier Padel have invested heavily (on a padel scale) in both energy and financial resources to make this circuit a success and have a positive impact on international padel. However, the Qatari company rarely makes mistakes, and all the money invested will inevitably become profitable sooner or later. It may already be so, given that the first 2 tournaments have been a success both for the public and for the organisation.
The broadcasting model is equally reliable and well thought out, with broadcasting rights split into 2 groups:
- The "free-to-air" model will be applied in Spain, a free-to-air broadcasting model, on TV. The WPT, for example, is broadcast in Spain on the Movistar+ channel, which is a paid service. The objective is therefore to give access to international padel for everyone and to make the circuit known to as many Spanish people as possible.
- The pay-per-view model applies to all other countries worldwide. ESPN for the American continent (including South America, one of padel's biggest markets), Sky Sports and BeIn Sports for Europe are the official broadcasters of Premier Padel. In these countries, padel broadcasting is in the majority of cases already encrypted, so no loss of revenue is anticipated. The objective here is entirely different: to generate revenue through TV rights without undermining the circuit's reputation.
The arrival of Premier Padel on the world padel scene is very welcome; this circuit represents the best organisation that professional padel has ever had — if not the best ever. The main players in the circuit, the players themselves, are finally respected, both in terms of playing conditions and salaries (a much higher and fairer cash prize). The shared objective is therefore to increase the sport's popularity through its professional athletes, and perhaps even catch the eye of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) for the 2024 Olympic Games.
