The Professional Padel Association (PPA) is none too happy over the plans of the World Padel Tour (WPT) for the current year.
The union has released a nine-point statement alleging breach of player contracts and describing the tour’s “unilateral” decisions as being “of a gravity without comparison, not only in the history of sport in Spain, but in any country considered democratic.”
The grievances
One complaint concerns tournament types. For 2023 the WPT has set up four (Master, Open 1,000, Open 500 and Master Final), whereas in player contracts “only three types of tournaments are established as mandatory (Master, Open and Master Final).”
Another concerns the approval of regulations. According to the PPA, the WPT plans to approve them during the season even though Article 12 of the contract in force stipulates pre-season approval.
Moreover, the PPA alleges, the tournament calendar’s release came a few days late, on Jan. 18, less than the stipulated month before the season’s start, on Feb. 10.
The PPA has requested the mediation of the Spanish government’s Superior Council of Sport and “will study all legal measures, however serious they may be, that our legal system or that of third countries may provide.”
Against the FEP
The PPA has also taken issue with the Spanish Padel Federation (FEP), for its alignment with the WPT.
In a separate statement, the PPA reminds the FEP that:
- the WPT “currently has million-dollar lawsuits filed against more than 70 players,” most of them FEP members
- the WPT’s initiative lacks the “validation” of the International Padel Federation (FIP), to which the FEP belongs
- there is an open investigation into the WPT over its alleged abuse of a dominant position, in violation of European competition law
No comment from the WPT
The WPT has published no statement we have been able to find, but its calendar and regulations (Normativa Técnica) for 2023 are available online.
This year marks the tour’s tenth anniversary, and the WPT has released a three-minute video to celebrate.
As recently reported, the three entities behind Premier Padel – Qatar Sports Investments (a sovereign wealth fund), the International Padel Federation (FIP) and the PPA – have met with the two entities behind the WPT – Damm and its subsidiary Setpoint Events – to discuss future joint operations.
