PSG’s Qatari owners are taking popular sport Padel global with new global tour

It’s a sport loved by 25 million individuals all over the world, with David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Jurgen Klopp, Andy Murray and Zlatan Ibrahimovic already fanatics.

Now Padel – a hybrid of tennis and squash – is about to be supercharged due to funding from the Qatari owners of Paris Saint-Germain.

A new global tour goals to take the sport past its normal heartlands of Spain and Argentina – the place solely soccer is extra popular by way of participation – to in all places and everybody.

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba tries his hand on the sport of Padel – a cross between tennis and squash that’s loved by hundreds of thousands all over the world

Tennis star Andy Murray (left) takes on former footballer Peter Crouch at a recreation of Padel 

Now Padel may have a world tour due to funding from PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi 

Backed by Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Qatar Sports Investments, a new Padel tour with sizeable prize cash will start this 12 months and hopes to broaden to 25 annual tournaments by 2024.

Lovers of the sport – which has a 50-50 break up of female and male gamers – even hope to get it within the Olympics for Los Angeles 2028.

Padel is normally performed in doubles on an enclosed court docket roughly 25 per cent smaller than a traditional tennis court docket.

As in squash, the ball might be performed off the glass partitions, creating longer and extra thrilling rallies and a few extraordinary photographs. The scoring system is identical as regular tennis.

With much less distance to cowl, Padel is much less bodily demanding than odd tennis, making it accessible to extra individuals.

Padel might be performed indoors or open air and normally in doubles format in an enclosed court docket

Smaller racquets are used to these in tennis and gamers can hearth photographs off the glass partitions 

It’s reputation is rising past Spain and Argentina, the place many of the world’s Padel courts are situated. But there are devotees from all around the globe.

Klopp had a Padel court docket put in at Liverpool’s coaching floor after his workers and gamers found the sport whereas on a coaching camp in Tenerife.

His assistant Pep Lijnders joked that Klopp is ‘fanatical’ about enjoying and ‘begins to stroll round like Conor McGregor’ if he wins too many video games.

Swedish star Ibrahimovic has poured his personal money into opening a collection of Padel Zenters throughout Europe having been himself transformed to the sport.

His erstwhile Manchester United team-mate Paul Pogba even gave him a hand at one of many centres. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has opened various specialist Padel centres throughout Europe 

David Beckham posted an Instagram video of himself attempting out the sport in Miami final 12 months 

Former England and United icon Beckham tried out Padel whereas in Miami final 12 months and was apparently a pure.

Zinedine Zidane additionally loves the sport, opening the ‘Z5’ Padel centre in Provence in November final 12 months with the general public capable of e book a court docket for 90 minutes for round £10 every.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray additionally loves the sport and took on former footballer Peter Crouch at Padel in a humorous Comic Relief video in 2020.

Fellow tennis royalty Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic additionally see the worth in both enjoying or investing within the rising sport.

The former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol confirmed his dedication to the sport – and successful by operating by means of a pane of glass to win some extent. 

Former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol confirmed his wounds after colliding with a glass pane

 

Now that the International Padel Federation has partnered with Al-Khelaifi and QSI, it’ll have its personal global tour, additionally that includes 4 ‘Grand Slams’.

Al-Khelaifi mentioned: ‘The world has solely seen the tip of the iceberg of what the sport of padel can obtain on the global stage.

‘Padel gamers are a number of the most proficient, inspiring and gracious athletes on this planet of sport – it is time for this glorious recreation and its unimaginable athletes to be showcased to followers all over the world.’