By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Live from SunBet Arena: The world’s finest padel players will descend on Pretoria this week as South Africa hosts its first Premier Padel P1 tournament, a landmark event that places the country on one of the sport’s most prestigious international circuits.
From 26 July to 2 August, the SunBet Arena at Time Square will stage the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Pretoria P1, bringing together the leading men’s and women’s players for a tournament carrying almost R10 million in prize money and valuable world ranking points.
The event joins an elite calendar of just 28 Premier Padel tournaments held annually in cities including Paris, Rome, Madrid, Doha and Miami, with Pretoria becoming the only stop in Sub Saharan Africa.
For South African padel, it is another significant step in a remarkable rise. The sport continues to attract new players at an extraordinary rate, with more than 1,400 courts now spread across the country and a rapidly expanding playing community embracing a game that blends the pace of tennis with the tactical use of squash style walls.
Competition begins on Sunday before the main draw gets underway on Monday, building towards the women’s and men’s finals on Sunday 2 August.
The tournament promises a rare opportunity for local fans to watch the sport’s biggest names compete on home soil. Alongside the international stars, 33 South Africans have earned places in the event through direct entries and wildcard selections, including 18 men and 15 women.
Among them is 15 year old Basma Moola, who becomes one of the youngest players in the field. “I’m really grateful for this opportunity, especially at my age,” Moola said at the tournament launch. “I’m coming in with no expectations. I’m just really excited for the experience.”
Tournament promoter Primedia Sport believes the event will accelerate the growth of padel across the country while providing South African players with invaluable exposure against the world’s best.
“It has been an 18 month journey to bring Premier Padel to South Africa,” said Primedia Sport Vice President Tobie Badenhorst. “This tournament will showcase the world’s best male and female players and forms part of a global series consisting of only 28 events.”
Badenhorst described the P1 category as the equivalent of an ATP Masters 1000 event in tennis, underlining the tournament’s importance on the international calendar.
Support has already reflected the growing excitement surrounding the event, with strong ticket sales ahead of the opening day and finals weekend expected to attract capacity crowds.
Away from the court, spectators can also expect a festival atmosphere, with live entertainment featuring DJ Maphorisa, Timo ODV and Chrizz Beatz throughout the week.
Matches from the latter stages of the tournament will be broadcast live across Africa on ESPN, giving audiences the chance to follow a competition that promises to introduce South African fans to the very highest level of one of the world’s fastest growing sports.