BUP or how a forgotten idea put the ball back in the center of the game

At a time when French padel is entering a phase of accelerated structuring, symbolized in particular by the arrival of the Salon of Padel March 28 and 29, 2026 at the club Padel Horizon à Sucy-en-Brie , some initiatives address very concrete problems in the daily lives of practitioners. BUP is part of these advances.

Behind the brand, Théo Bourdarel, 24, a tennis enthusiast since childhood and son of a top-level padel player, offers a simple solution to a universal problem: the lifespan of the bullets .

An idea born in the field… and in books

When Théo picked up his tennis racket again in 2022 after a break for his studies, he was in for a nasty surprise. "I realized that the balls weren't the same as before. Everyone around me was saying the same thing: since Covid, the quality has gone downhill."

Curious, he sought to understand and came across a 1935 article by René Lacoste, explaining the principle of the pressurized ball regenerable Yes, 1935, Lacoste!

"He had conceived of the ball as a football. A ball made to be reinflated. And I thought to myself: how could we have forgotten that for a century?"

The shift is also ecological.

"Seeing clubs throw away tons of balls every week, I thought it was crazy. I myself was constantly buying new balls even though they were still good to play with."

BUP: Maintain pressure, prolong the game

With three partners and friends, two engineers and an operational profile, Théo launches BUP The concept is deceptively simple: "We've developed a machine that keeps the balls under pressure to improve their lifespan. BUP is like a tube of new balls, but in a larger format."

Théo offers an analogy to help us understand: "It's like a fridge for food. If you want to keep something longer, you put it in the right environment."

Technically, the ball loses pressure as soon as the tube is opened. The rubber is porous, and air escapes. BUP therefore recreates a pressurized environment that allows air to re-enter the ball.

Clubs: economy for some, performance for others

On the ground, the reception is generally very positive, for different reasons depending on the profiles.

"The club president only sees the economics. The coach, on the other hand, is mainly thinking: finally, I'll stop getting criticized for the soft balls."

The promise is appealing: bullets that last. two to three times longer and constant pressure to play. But for Théo, the major advantage lies elsewhere: "Today, the ball is the number one expense in any facility, tennis or padel. Our strength lies in cost-effectiveness."

During the development phase, ease and speed of use were priorities: "It had to take less than a minute and a half per day for a coach. Otherwise, it doesn't work."

Padel, a more receptive playing surface than tennis

While adoption is rapid in padel, it's slower in tennis. The reason? Habits. "Some tennis coaches have been working the same way for 30 years. Naturally, changing a routine can be irritating."

In padel, the solution integrates naturally and (finally) lowers the "entry fee" to play: "Today, the real barrier to entry for padel is the cost. Balls cost 7-8 euros per game." Hence the appeal of BUP. Many clubs have adopted a virtuous model: collecting tournament balls, repressurizing them, and then reselling them. 1 euro per ball “It allows beginner players to have good balls at a lower price. And it allows the club to make better use of what it used to throw away,” explains Théo Bourdarel.

Market, resistance and snowball effect

In terms of reliability, quality, and product effectiveness, achieving the final result wasn't easy: "R&D is tough. Every solution creates new problems." Then there were the market demands they had to contend with: "There's 1 to 2% of very good players who absolutely insist on new balls. At first, it was hard to convince them." But word of mouth did the rest: "Today, players of all levels go to the club next door that uses BUP, see that they're playing with €3 balls, and wonder why they're still using €8 balls at home."

Result: today, 18 to 19% of French padel clubs are equipped with bUP and similar solutions. In tennis, the rate is even lower (3 to 5%), but the momentum has begun.

An adventure that has only just begun

BUP is starting to expand internationally: Morocco, Portugal, Eastern Europe, and soon the Middle East. Théo is transparent about the difference between a new ball and a repressurized ball: "We don't reach the same overpressure as the first five points of a new ball. However, we consistently achieve 90-95% of the optimal bounce." That's already impressive!

For the young entrepreneur, "BUP is the greatest adventure of my life. We are addressing a key need, we have an ecological impact, and I work with passionate people. I think BUP will become indispensable to our sport."

This conviction resonates particularly at a time when French padel is seeking to grow, all without increasing costs.

www.bupfrance.fr

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!