The historical calendar of padel
Padel originated in Mexico in the early 1970s. Some sources indicate that the creator of the game was Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican businessman who was looking for a way to entertain his guests at his home in Acapulco. Others say the game was invented by Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe, who was building a club in Marbella, Spain, and wanted a sport that could be played on a small court.
In any case, the game quickly became popular in Mexico and Spain and spread around the world in the following decades.
In 1991 the International Padel Federation (FIP) was founded, which allowed the creation of international tournaments and further development of the sport. In 2005, a project began that materialised in 2006 with the PPT Circuit (Padel Pro Tour), with which common rules for the professional practice of padel were agreed. In 2010 the circuit was internationalised, with several events in Argentina, although most of them were held in Spain.
It was in 2013 when the World Padel Tour appeared, with the majority of events being played, as before, in Spain. The two events in Argentina were joined by a new country, neighbouring Portugal, with a tournament in Lisbon to promote the practice of padel in the country.
In 2014, the three countries mentioned above were joined by Dubai, adding a new continent to the circuit. In 2015 and 2016 a tournament in Monte Carlo was added to the calendar as a novelty; in 2017 the World Padel Tour reached Miami, betting on a place with good weather and a large Latin community.
In 2018, Sweden was added, one of the countries where padel has grown the most in recent years and where tournaments are still being held today. In 2019, three new locations stand out: London, Sao Paulo and Mexico City, being the year of greatest international expansion to date.
In 2020, a season marked by the pandemic, a circuit event was held on the Italian island of Sardinia, the second European country after Spain where most people play this ever-growing sport. In 2021, however, there are no novelties in terms of countries, repeating those of previous years.
But, with the pandemic, padel is one of the biggest booms in sports, as it can be played outdoors and is a very social sport. In addition, the level shown by the new generations of players together with the legends of this sport arouses the interest of the public on television and streaming broadcasts.
It is then in 2022 that the circuit takes the definitive leap towards internationalisation, holding events in new cities such as Toulouse, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna and Copenhagen. In addition, tournaments are held in Miami, Mexico, the Middle East, Portugal, Italy and Sweden.
Now, with a new season in 2023 marked by a demanding calendar due to the appearance of the Premier Padel circuit, World Padel Tour continues with its internationalization, adding tournaments in other countries and in major capitals, leaving behind the beginnings in which the tournaments were all over Spain and some events in Argentina.
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