In light of the founding of a second league, Premier Padel, the nine-year-old World Padel Tour (WPT) has set forth a new modus operandi for the next half-decade.
Chief among the changes is the elimination of the exclusivity clause from its player contracts. Until now, WPT players have had to abstain from competing in non-WPT tournaments for seven days before and after any WPT tournament. In conjunction with this, WPT is withdrawing the lawsuits it filed with the Civil and Mercantile Arbitrage Court (CIMA) in Spain against certain players for breach of contract. It was asking for damages of €25 million.
WPT is also raising its prize amounts. A first proposal along these lines dates to late 2021, amounted to €9.3 million and received no response from the players. The new totals, with tournament name changes, are as follows:
- Master Final has become World Masters Final (€500,000)
- The Master, now Big (€600,000 for men, €300,000 for women)
- Open, now the Open 300 for men (€300,000) and the Open 150 for women (€150,000)
- Challenger, now the Open 100 for men (€100,000) and the Open 60 for women (€60,000)
There is also a bonus for rank. Players who agree to the new terms for 2023 and 2024, finish in the top 30, and play in at least 15 tournaments will receive an extra €500,000.
