Rafa Méndez: ”If there are economic sanctions, the new Qatari circuit will take care of them”

There are growing signs that Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the FIP's planned tour will be the leading tour after the players' contract with the World Padel Tour expires in 2023. Despite heavy sanctions from the WPT, the plan is for the Qatar-based tour to start with competitions already this season. 
51-ranked Rafa Méndez also confirms this in a video interview with Padel Magazine. 

A few weeks ago, Padel Alto was the first media to publish the letter that the World Padel Tour, through its lawyers, sent out to the players. The letter clearly stated that heavy sanctions would be imposed on players who deviated from the contract. 

Now Rafa Mendez, number 51 on the World Padel Tour rankings, talks openly about his thoughts on the future of padel in an interview with French Padel Magazine. 

In the interview, he confirms that FIP and Nasser's tour plans are to start already this year. 

— Officially, it will start in 2024. The idea for 2022 and 2023 is to do some tournaments when there is no WPT. At the moment, we have the contract until December 2023, Rafa Méndez says.

”I think is that the top 20 players will play these tournaments”.

Even though the World Padel Tour has been informed that it will impose sanctions on the players, the top 20 in the rankings could face 300,000 to 500,000 Euros fines if they join tournaments seven days before or after a World Padel Tour event. 

—  I think the top 20 players will play in these tournaments. If there are economic sanctions, the new Qatari circuit will take care of them. 

He sees the cooperation between FIP and Nasser Al-Khelaifi only as positive. 

— This gives more credibility and security. It is crucial that the two actors move forward together. 

”The World Padel Tour could have done more.”

Generally, about the situation that has arisen in the padel world, with different actors competing to become the leading tour of the future, the backhand player says: 

— My opinion is that padel experienced an enormous boom all over the world. The World Padel Tour has done many things well, but they could have done more. For example, we are talking about broadcasting. What has been missing is attention to the player and making it feel more professional. 

Another actor aiming to launch a tour in 2024 is Lisandro Borges and the Players Padel Tour. Earlier this year, he had a talk with the players at the Buenos Aires Padel Masters. 

— Lisandro is very motivated, but there have been a few situations where the players have gradually lost faith in his circuit, Rafa Méndez says. 

”If Qatar's tour finally comes out, the other circuits will no longer be viable.”

He doesn't think the APT Padel Tour, which has been running for two seasons, has any bright future if the Qatar-based tour takes the best players. 

— If Qatar's tour finally comes out, the other circuits will no longer be viable. The players would be free, but the freedom is limited if there are 25/30 tournaments. The APT Padel Tour is doing great things, but it will be impossible to continue if the best players don't go to this tour in the next 3 or 4 years.

While the men have criticized the World Padel Tour via the Players Association, the women's future on the tour has been quieter. 

— If it is true that the players are a bit divided among the men´s players because of bad interpretations of some information, it is not the case among the females. They negotiate, and they will choose the best offer for them. I think women and men should continue together on the same tour. It's best for padel, Rafa Méndez says in the interview.