Padel is expanding quickly all around the world, as evidenced by the rise in tournaments, fan bases, and media attention. Both amateur and professional players are taking notice of it as its popularity soars throughout Europe, Latin America, and beyond. However, padel still lags far behind tennis in terms of monetary recompense.
Comparing the Types of Tournaments
There is a noticeable difference in prize money between tennis and padel. A Premier Padel Major winner makes about €47,000 per player, while a tennis Grand Slam champion can get over €3.5 million. The difference persists even at lesser levels:
| Tennis Tournament Level | Padel Equivalent | Tennis Winner (ATP) | Padel Winner (Premier Padel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | Premier Padel Major | €3.5 million | ~€47,000 |
| Masters 1000 | Premier Padel P1 | ~€900,000 | ~€25,000 |
| ATP 500 | Premier Padel P2 | ~€400,000 | ~€10,000 |
The earnings of a Grand Slam champion are approximately 57 times more than those of a Major Premier Padel winner. What a P2 padel event delivers is greater than 25 times that of even the ATP 500 level. Even though the P1 category is regarded as premium in padel, it is still inferior than the Masters 1000 in tennis.
Recognizing the Financial Divide
This imbalance is caused by a number of factors:
Historical Legacy: With long-standing customs and significant sponsors, tennis has a significant global following.
Media Rights: Broadcasting profits from tennis tournaments like Wimbledon and Roland Garros total hundreds of millions of dollars. Padel’s media rights are still underappreciated and restricted.
Distribution of Revenue: Padel circuits continue to develop. Launched in 2022, Premier Padel is developing its financial strategy from the ground up.
Professional Depth: The number of padel players who make a steady living from the game is declining. Many competitors outside of the top 20 rely significantly on sponsorships.
Indices of Advancement
Padel is heading in a positive direction notwithstanding the present discrepancy. Premier Padel events are seeing a steady increase in prize money, with the Rome Major providing the largest payouts to date. The circuit has a clear goal: to eventually meet tennis’s financial standards, particularly for its main events.
Padel’s journey is just beginning, and while the road to parity with tennis is long, the momentum is undeniable.
