After the first tournament of the circuit played in Miami, the next day of Pro Padel League (PPL) will have San Sebastián as headquarters. It will be … The first time in the history of the competition that is played outside the United States. Therefore, from July 10 to 13, the Royal Tennis Club of Ondarreta will be filled with fashionable sport fans in the world. Gustavo Santoscoy, CEO of GS Sports Management and representative of the PPL in Europe, considers that it will be “the sporting event, with the exception of football, the most important of the last twenty years in the city.”
– Why in San Sebastián?
– When we decided to take out the Padel League (PPL) from the United States we were looking for a city that met three requirements mainly: that it was a tourist attraction, it had a solid economic structure and it was a place where there would still have been no international paddle exposure. With these requirements as a base, we find Donostia, a city that brings together these three factors and, in addition, we consider that it is one of the most important tourist destinations in Europe. All this made us think that it was the stage and the perfect context for this event.
– It is the first destination of a possible future European tour.
– Donostia is going to be the first PPL stop in Europe and, we are sure and convinced that it will be a total success. So surely it can be the first of many at European and world level.
– What is the PPL?
– It is a competition that has been in the United States for more than three years. It is a different model, which wants to separate from traditional paddlers worldwide and that puts a lot of emphasis on the growth of one’s own sport.
– What is the format?
– It is a season in which there are five events, four regular seasonal tournaments and a final master’s degree, to which the franchises that have accumulated enough points to earn a position in it are classified. In total there are ten teams, each formed by a male and a female couple, who compete in different tournaments. Each match consists of two confrontations, male and female, which are played from Thursday to Saturday and the best four couples of each category are classified to the final phase, in which the first three positions are played. This seeks that for each competition, the teams are adding points to achieve the pass to the last final event that will be played in New York at the end of the year, in which there is an award of around two million dollars. As for the duration of each confrontation, I would say that each one is around the time or time of the game. In this San Sebastián tournament, three sets are played with a Super Tiek in the third in case of a tie.
– A few days after the start of the tournament, what expectations do you have?
– They are very high. The public’s acceptance has been very positive, people talk about the event throughout the city. We have to remember that it is an international event, so we want to put Donostia also in that international focus and that in countries such as the United States, Argentina or Mexico, which in recent years have become world powers in the paddle circuit, talk about the city and the tournament.
– What message would you send to the Guipuzcoans who are not familiar with this sport to encourage them to go?
– Our idea is to change the sports field in the city. We consider that it is the sporting event, without taking into account football, more important of the last ten or twenty years in the city. The best players in the world will come to participate in this event. What we will live here is more than a highest level paddle tournament. It will be a social and cultural event in which, in addition to enjoying sport, the people who go will live a unique experience.
– What does this circuit offer to the spectator?
– Mainly, dynamism and emotion. Unlike other traditional paddle competitions, this is a circuit divided into teams, in which we can see the best players in the world competing in a different format. This format allows the games to be very interactive for the viewer and in which many emotions are seen in the players. All this generates a different sensation at the audience, which is living something that is not used to seeing. We will have a track with capacity for 1,500 spectators.
– What familiar faces of the paddle world can we see in this tournament?
– Above all to emphasize the presence of Agustin Tapia, current number one in the world and Federico Chingotto, number three and recent champion of the Master of Rome. In addition, the presence of Lucas Campagnolo, Tolito Aguirre, Juan Tello, Maxi Sánchez and Navarro Jon Sanz. In the female field, there will be the current number one, Ari Sánchez, Gemma and Delfi Brea, to name a few. We will really have a great level of paddle for four wonderful days.
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