With the growth of padel around the world, the professional padel landscape has become very congested. New tournaments, tours and events are popping up week on week. The once headline World Padel Tour is no more and instead it is Premier Padel that’s moved centre stage. Arguably, in its wake is the A1 Padel Tour (the Challengers equivalent of the padel world?) and their standout red surfaces. In the United States, we have seen the successful formation of the Pro Padel League (PPL) and many other nations are trying to find their equivalent. Now, one might think that with the Qatari millions being invested into a new global tour, it is Premier Padel that would be going all the running. Well, not so fast, because, as I discovered, money doesn’t always buy you the best; for what I observed was that, with its litany of star investors and owners, it is the more start-up-esque Hexagon Cup doing a lot of the running, making the headlines and turning the proverbial water into wine.
What is the best spectacle at the pro level? Is one better than the rest? Let us help you decide which is the hottest ticket in professional padel today.
Overview
Let’s start with Premier Padel. A 25-tournament season across 18 countries with four of those tournaments being the so-called Majors. Hosted in Doha, Rome, Paris and Monterrey, these are some of the pinnacle weeks of the season. They are fantastic events in eye-catching locations, most notably the Paris event being hosted at Roland Garros. These 25 tournaments all, however, lead to one thing, the Premier Padel Finals at the end of the season. Here, the top eight male and female players get to compete for the title of world champions and mark their names in the history books. This event arguably carries more prestige than any other, but is that all that counts?
The A1 Padel Tour is its closest rival, but other than their distinctive red surfaces and some spectacular event locations including on the steps of the Monaco Casino, they are very much the baby brother in the relationship – perhaps fair to say they are the ATP Challenger circuit compared to the ATP Main Tour. Their events are worth a visit if you are in the area but worthy of an international flight? I’d say not. flying across the world.
The Pro Padel League (PPL) was formed in 2023 and is a team competition with 10 teams competing across North America. The lineup includes five players ranked number one in their respective countries, including Agustin Tapia and Ariana Sanchez Fallada, both top players in the world rankings. With its attractiveness for top players and a unique team structure, these events are fantastic spectator sports and have been fantastic for the growth of professional padel in the USA, with many players, shrewdly, identifying the United States as a key growth market for the sport, and, therefore, for their own brands, too.
Finally, and arguably the perfect blend of all three of the previous events, the Hexagon Cup is a true headline feature in the padel calendar. With the inaugural event held in February 2024, the second edition promises to be bigger and better. And then some. Participating teams are owned by some of the biggest names in sport, including Kun Aguero, Pierre Gasly, Andy Murray, Robert Lewandowski, the Rafa Nadal Academy and Eva Longoria. The tournament attracts the biggest names in the game, with its million-euro prize pot and fantastic fan and player experience (as those who attended the debut tournament earlier this year will testify).
The Decision
So, as a fan, how do you even begin to weigh these up giants of the professional game? Let us make it easy for you by looking at three criteria: cost, fan experience and quality of padel and players.
Cost
For the Premier Padel Finals, adult tickets start from €40 and children from €20, pretty good value for a day of top-level competition in Barcelona. However, when compared to the A1 tour, which attracts fewer big names, tickets cost just €25 for a weekend pass or €65 for the whole competition. The Pro Padel League is one of the more expensive events with just group stage tickets for the upcoming New York event costing €65 and whole event tickets starting from €225. However, these events are less frequent and provide a fantastic fan experience. Last but not least, the Hexagon Cup. Arguably the biggest event of them all with the headline players and team owners. Yet, interestingly, the tickets are by far the cheapest. Starting from just €10 for the early days and going up to €13 for finals day, this really is a bargain. For the fans, as their slogan goes, indeed.
Fan Experience
All the events provide a fantastic fan experience through their attractive locations, immersive environment, and inclusive atmosphere. The two which really stand out however, are the Hexagon Cup and PPL. This is largely down to the innovative team nature of the tournaments which allows for the fan to truly get behind their favourite team and find that sporting passion. The Hexagon Cup also features an exciting and interactive Fan Zone with live music, player appearances, top padel brands, and an excellent range of culinary options. Within the arena, top-level matches from day 1, world-renowned DJs, incredible audio and lights shows and fantastic competition help to take the experience above the rest.
Player Quality
Padel at the highest level is an incredible watch and all of the events put on an amazing spectacle. Top players are of course most loyal to Premier Padel but are also quick to jump on the chance to play in the United States and other emerging markets. The Hexagon Cup’s strategic timing just after the conclusion of the season means that all of the top talent will be in Madrid once again to compete for their teams. This really is the only event when you can see the best players in the world battle it out for five consecutive days!
So, where have we got to? Premier Padel has the big year-roundreputation, A1 the impossibly striking locations, PPL the exciting team format, but it is The Hexagon Cup which really shines through as the standout event.
