French padel operators have formed their own national association, distinct from the French Tennis Federation, in a move labelled by one observer as “a small tsunami” for the industry in France.
Formed in April, Association Nationale du Padel (ANP) is backed by the significant heft of Union Sport & Cycle (USEC), the union that represents sports, leisure and cycling brands, retailers and facilities in France.
ANP represents France’s private padel clubs which account for around 75% of operators and 60% of the country’s courts.
ANP’s very basic website states that its ambition is “to structure, support and promote the development of padel throughout France.”
Its aims include supporting the development of padel; padel-related social, educational and societal actions; training referees, coaches, organisers and volunteers; and better coordination of tournaments.
Opinion is divided on exactly how antagonistic this move is towards the French Tennis Federation, which governs padel in France.
Respected French padel consultant Romain Taupin suggested APN marks the creation of a “counter-power” to the governing body, but others have called it “a desire for structured cohabitation rather than outright opposition” and claim it is an attempt to create a stronger, unified voice and tackle common challenges facing private clubs as the sport continues to grow.
As reported by Padel Magazine, previous attempts to create “a symposium of padel clubs” in France in 2020 failed due to conflict between stakeholders (perhaps inevitable as they are, after all, commercial rivals).
It remains to be seen whether this new body will be able to achieve its broader ambitions for the industry whilst competing fiercely for the same customers.
In Britain, there have been a couple of major moves to foster collaboration between padel operators, the most recent orchestrated by the governing body itself at the well-received recent LTA National Padel Operator Forum (pictured above).
Soul Padel’s CEO Mark Hewlett also orchestrated a Padel Operators’ Roundtable earlier this year resulting in a one-page manifesto covering shared aims and principles. Its second meeting is scheduled for the Padel World Summit in Barcelona later this month.
Photo by Vincenzo Morelli on Unsplash
