“Being an essential place for padel in the South-West”: Olympus Padel enters the game

In the projection images, around fifty wooden deckchairs are carefully placed on the terraces. At their feet, a pétanque court is embedded in the decor. We are a long way from a room solely dedicated to padel. “The goal is to create a community and a real place to live in Estillac, not only to play padel but also to have a drink, see matches and friends playing,” indicates Hugo Tolot.

The former president of the Amicale Laïque Tennis d’Agen joined forces with Cyril Recondo (player of padel for several years), André Abadie and Omar Armel. Together, they invested 4.5 million euros in this project called “Olympus Padel”, work on which will begin in March. The 3,800 m² sports complex, entrusted to architect François de La Serre, should be built in September 2025 in the Portes d’Estillac area, along the ring road. “We’ve been thinking about it for a while, and it accelerated when we had the opportunity to get the land last September. We had targeted the right bank of the Garonne. The location seemed to meet all the criteria because we wanted an accessible place, where there is traffic and visibility,” he lists.

A central court at the heart of the project

With a ceiling height of 10 meters, the sports complex will be made up of ten indoor courts, overlooked by a balcony giving direct visibility to the “central”. This court, an element at the heart of the project, aims to host high-level matches and competitions. Several activities will be organized around this area, in particular thanks to the 150 m² clubhouse and snack bar. For their part, businesses will have access to a seminar room. The objective is clear: “to be an essential place for padel in the South-West”.

Olympus Padel also wants to build a real sporting project, thanks to an academy which should see the light of day upon opening. “In the medium term, the goal is to welcome players of very good level, to do everything possible so that they can be in the best possible conditions and emancipate themselves. Today, the greatest players in the world are Spanish or Argentinian, so we are behind. It’s not just an entrepreneurial project, we want to support the best people in the area in their performance,” confides Hugo Tolot.

The popularity of padel constantly increasing

Padel has gradually become more popular since the 2000s, reaching 65,000 licenses issued in 2024, i.e. a 91% increase compared to 2023 according to the French Tennis Federation (FFT): “It is a new sport, which requires new infrastructure. The first padel equipment was made by the first generation of passionate investors who knew this discipline. They tried to set up padel courts in already existing tennis courts, or warehouses. Today, there is a second generation who are arriving with a little more perspective on the activity, seeing what works or not and what people are looking for.” With an ambitious project, Olympus can expect success to match the popularity of padel. Answer in September…