The Verbier Padel Master
The first international padel tournament on Swiss soil
The international professional padel circuit arrives in Verbier. Padel you say? It is a variation of tennis and is played on a smaller court (20m x 10m), framed by transparent walls and fences, where points are counted like in tennis.
From August 15th to the 20th, on the Périn parking lot (next to the Sports Center), a central court and a secondary court will be set up to host the first international tournament on Swiss soil. At its head, the tennis player Stan Wawrinka, who fell in love with this fun sport practiced by 25 million people around the world, said: "As a big fan of racquet sports, I immediately became a fan of padel. Its accessibility, its dynamism, its playfulness but also its extremely competitive side make it a sport that will appeal to a very large number of people and establish itself as a favourite among the general public. With the help of Verbier, we have all the cards in hand to be the reference event and the showcase of padel in Switzerland, and even internationally", notes the Swiss tennis player who will be the president of this tournament set up by the company WHL Sport SA of which he is a member with his sister Naëlla Wawrinka, Renato Lombardi and Dan Hafner. "During this week of competition, we expect 10,000 spectators. A 1000-seat grandstand will be set up around the centre court and giant screens will also provide entertainment, thanks to our partner Plasma Communication" say the committee members.
Free access and joyful village
Access to the matches on the secondary court will be free. Numerous animations, catering possibilities and concerts will also punctuate this tournament. "It will be a sport festival" said Stan Wawrinka, whose team has signed a three-year contract with Verbier and A1Padel, one of the three international professional padel circuits that exist today and which includes the Verbier tournament. Verbier's choice is not a coincidence, being Stan Wawrinka's favourite mountain resort, who has many friends there. The organizers also wanted to distinguish themselves from other existing tournaments. The magical setting of Verbier and the Val de Bagnes offered them this possibility. Although the first edition will only host men padel players, from 2024 onwards, they will also host a women's event. Tickets for the central court will be available at the end of the month. The entire program and all practical information can be found at verbierpadelmaster.com
