It’s not just cinema that is making waves in the city of festivals and, more broadly, on the Côte d’Azur. Padel, little by little, is also making its nest there (to a lesser extent, of course).
This team sport (played two against two), which is largely inspired by the rules of tennis (and is played, moreover, with the same balls, with less pressure) and squash, but presents itself as much more accessible for recreational sports enthusiasts, is in vogue. And it seems set to last.
To be convinced of this, you only need to take a look at the many projects currently underway, particularly that of the 4Padel group in Cannes-La-Bocca, which is supposed to become the largest centre dedicated to the discipline in the department and is planned for 2025-2026.
The virus is spreading beyond the tennis sphere
But also to the colossal number of tracks (that’s what we call a court) which are emerging within the most historic of tennis clubs, which have also succumbed to the padel tidal wave which has been sweeping the Maralpine coast for several years now.
So, like the Tennis Altitude 500 or the All In in Grasse, many are turning to padel in order to also benefit from this craze, like the Tennis Club d’Antibes & Padel, or the Tennis Club Roquettan in La Roquette-sur-Siagne (non-exhaustive list).
That’s not all. The padel virus goes beyond the boundaries of racket sports. A discipline that is both competitive and recreational par excellence, it even appeals to five-a-side football centres, such as the Stadium centre in Antibes, which recently had two tracks built in place of one of their football pitches, and is even considering “to install a third one”.
This is where the appeal of this new discipline lies (in reality, padel was born in Mexico in the 70s). It appeals to both seasoned athletes and “Sunday players”, who find what they are looking for. It is not surprising, in this context, to see a Cannes resident create his own brand of rackets, despite the presence of major brands on the market, or an Antibes resident specialising in leisure tournaments.
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