Madrid, 23 Sep. World Padel Tour is preparing a “breakthrough and surprising” strategic plan. The objective, to maintain the presence of the players so that they continue in the circuit before the new competition. Àlex Corretja (Barcelona, 1974) leads the new WPT project after joining as Deputy Chairman, held by Ramón Agenjo since 2017.
Multifaceted, an analyst at Eurosport, TVE and SER, Corretja lands as an executive at the WPT to “continue to be the best”. He runs an organization whose sport he sells the television rights to 140 countries.
Question: Why this new challenge in your life?
Answer: It motivates me a lot. Keep growing and evolving. I come from tennis and for me they are like first cousins; there is no competition, I have always seen it as growth. From my vision as a professional tennis player I can contribute, not only to Damm -owner of WPT- and to the organization of the World Padel Tour, but also to the players to understand them and pass on their ideas. My dream is to create this bridge and that we all understand each other.
I am very motivated because it is a very nice opportunity and I have always practiced paddle tennis since I was little. In paddle tennis I only get better and in tennis I only get worse (laughs). For me, padel has always been a very important motivation.
Q: Why this boom in paddle tennis?
A: Padel is a sport that has grown a lot, surely the one that has evolved the most in the twenty-first century. You see it all over the world, anywhere there are paddle tennis courts. I played it before, but when I retired I started investing many hours, training with professionals…
On a social level, it is a very engaging sport because it can be played by young people, older people, who have not picked up a shovel… That makes it a very global sport and millions of people around the world practice it today. At World Padel Tour we have the best circuit in the world and we want it to continue to be that way. We want to continue being the best.
Q: You lead the bet for the future of the World Padel Tour to, as you say, continue to be the best. What can you tell us about these plans?
A: I can tell you that in a matter of days or weeks we are going to present a new proposal, a new improved circuit that is going to be groundbreaking and surprising. A very great effort is being made by the World Padel Tour in all aspects. It is not just an economic issue, it is a technological issue, of how you present the circuit and continue to improve.
We all have had to progress in life. I played very well on clay and if I didn’t progress on hard courts I could never be in the top ten. These are the examples that you have to take; what has served me can serve in the World Padel Tour. The news that there is going to be, for boys and girls, is going to be impressive; It is something very exciting and I fully trust that we are going to convince them that this is going to continue to grow like no other. I do not have any doubt.
Q: A future in which, as it is now and was in the past, there will be Estrella Damm. How important is your support for the development of padel?
A: It is everything. Damm has been behind the World Padel Tour for ten years betting on padel when it did not exist at a professional level. A brand has been created, the players have grown with them, thanks to Damm they have made a mark for the players and thanks to these World Padel Tour and Damm they have grown. What has there been any separation? Yes it’s correct. And, in fact, I am here to help us all move forward; I think that is the most important thing.
Then, as is logical, each one has to try to look at their interest, but knowing and being very clear that Damm believes and is committed to padel for many years; also at the base with training, scholarships for players… this also weighs.
Oscar Maya Belchí
