Today in France, our good old padel is no longer a sport that needs to be introduced: it is everywhere. Even in the deepest part of the Aude countryside, padel courts flourish without difficulty. Indeed, according to FFT figures, there are no fewer than 593 clubs in France offering padel, including 127 who have made it their main practice. However, equity between regions is not optimal. If padel is very successful in the south of France, this is not necessarily the case in the north, such as in Normandy.

If we look more closely at the case of metropolitan France, it is important to emphasize that padel is beginning to establish itself in the overseas departments, in particular the recent success of a P1000 ladies in Reunion which clearly demonstrates the new trend. However, we note that in Guadeloupe, Guyana and New Caledonia, padel has not yet really become part of the culture...

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Occitanie, the cradle of padel in France

What a vast region Occitanie is. Ranging from Toulouse to Montpellier, via Perpignan and Nîmes, the region includes a good part of the French padel courts. Dozens of padel clubs have been set up there, all over the area. And even today, club projects are multiplying. Currently, 20% of the padel courts in France are in Occitanie and no less than 15% of the licensees. This is the region with the fewest players per court: 58 per court compared to an average of 80 players per court for France.

A region on the doorstep of Spain, Occitanie has been able to benefit from Spanish fervour more quickly than other geographical areas in France, such as Normandy, for example, which only has 3% of padel licensees and 2% of courts...

This region also has the chance, every year, to host prestigious competitions. For two years now, the World Padel Tour has established itself in Toulouse, in a tournament which is increasingly attracting the French. Last September, the 4Padel of Toulouse hosted the French Championships for a long weekend.

Southern regions in pole position

If it seemed important to highlight Occitanie, there are several other regions in the south of France that should not be forgotten: PACA, for example, Nouvelle Aquitaine or Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes which are also among the big names. The big black spot in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region remains the number of tracks in this territory. If a large part of the licensees practicing padel are in this sector of France, the number of players per track remains very high.

On the Italian border side, there is no shortage of clubs either. As we already told you about, PACA is one of the historical precursors of padel In France. In a very dense region, solutions had to be found to establish tracks. Today, we combine the practical and the pleasant, by developing land… on the roofs of shopping centers. Yes, it is possible and it is an interesting solution to overcome the lack of space in certain cities and avoid touching the vegetation.

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Île de France and the northern departments lagging behind

However, it is necessary to underline the great disparity present on French territory and in particular with regard to the north of France. The Paris region is seriously lacking in slopes. 114 players for a padel court, this makes it penultimate in the class in terms of ratio, just after the ARA.

Is it the cold winter, or the weather that is often not conducive to playing padel that is holding back these regions? Or perhaps their proximity to countries where the sport has not yet fully taken off? Several factors can come into play to explain the reasons for the lack of tracks. Land prices also play a role. Finding an investor, ready to spend a substantial sum to open a club, without any guarantee that the padel fever will spread to the territory: this remains a risky bet.

However, we have noticed that in recent weeks, projects in the northern part of the country have multiplied. If the Urban franchise Padel should arrive in Puteaux, with no less than 14 padel courts, the 4Padel will also consolidate in the north of the country, with 11 padel courts planned near Rouen. This is a major new complex for the Le Five group network which recently expanded to Strasbourg, with no less than 14 tracks.

4Padel Rouen club house slopes view

Little by little, the rise of padel is reaching the “hostile” lands of the north, to take its place, as it has been able to do in the south in recent years. The creation of these new complexes should make it possible to make this sport known and democratize it in these regions.

And allow it to continue to establish itself a little more on French territory.

Gwenaelle Souyri

It was her brother who one day told her to accompany him to a padel court, since then, Gwenaëlle has never left the court. Except when it comes to going to watch the retransmission of Padel Magazine, World Padel Tour… or Premier Padel…or the French Championships. In short, she is a fan of this sport.

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