“Yes, if we draw a parallel with tennis, we can say that it is the equivalent of a Grand Slam tournament.” Development Advisor (CED) within the Haute-Garonne committee, Audrey Moronval announces the color for the French Padel Open scheduled in just under five months on Toulouse soil. An event carried by the T & T Padel agency, a subsidiary of T & T Global Management, a structure founded by Tony Parker and Teddy Riner, which acquired the rights to organize a stage of the World Padel Tour in France. A first in France.

On the menu, a women’s painting and a men’s painting at the Palais des Sports in Toulouse. And a retransmission provided by Canal +. “It is obviously excellent news to have such a meeting in the region and especially in Haute-Garonne. It should be remembered that Occitania is the region of France which currently has the largest number of padel courts, namely a little over 250. In the department, the discipline has really exploded in recent years.We currently count thirty-four indoor courts and thirteen outdoors, distributed in twelve structures with on one side private clubs and on the other, tennis clubs. On the other hand, it is more complicated to assess the total number of practitioners. But there are very many of them, it is obvious. And there are more and more players who did not ask for a past in tennis”, explains Audrey Moronval.

“It’s just exceptional”

Members of Stade Toulousain and the French padel team, Charlotte Soubrié and Bastien Blanqué could take part in the tournament via qualifications or invitations. “It’s great that the first stage in France is taking place in my city. And it’s great for the media coverage of our sport”, indicates the French N.3 and 162nd in the world. “It’s just exceptional that a WPT tournament takes place in France. And it’s also my city. The broadcast on Canal promotes the visibility of padel”, underlines for its part the French N.6.

Note that Committee 31 will launch a youth circuit (from 11 to 18 years old), from February 19 to May 21, spread over six infrastructures (Toulouse Padel Club, Padel Tolosa, 4Padel, Padel Tolosa de Montauban, ATM Montauban and the Albigensian Padel Club), with a Masters in June at committee 31.