Barcelona unveils the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals. From December 19 to 22 the season’s final tournament at the Palau Sant Jordi. Carraro: “We made a dream come true”

The Olympic Museum of Sport Joan Antoni Samaranch has hosted the official presentation of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals, the grand finale of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour. This prestigious event will take place from December 19 to 22 at the Palau Sant Jordi and is expected to be another resounding success.

The event was attended by Berni Álvarez, Sports Minister of the Generalitat de Catalunya; David Escudé, Sports Councilor of the Barcelona City Council and President of the Fundació Barcelona Olímpica; Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation; Ramón Morcillo, President of the Spanish Padel Federation; Felip Ródenas, President of the Catalan Padel Federation; David Serrahima, CEO of Premier Padel; Joan Cuscó, President of Octagon Spain; and professional player Fernando Belasteguín.

“Barcelona is a city that fully embraces sports, as you can see in every neighborhood, and padel is no exception”, has remarked David Escudé during the first panel discussion, which also featured Luigi Carraro, who has added, “Coming to Barcelona was a dream we will fulfill this December. It’s really a big thrill for us, for the Premier Padel circuit, but also for the whole padel community worldwide. We started this project at the end of 2021 and in 2022 we celebrated the first tournament. We have always had a dream: to play in Barcelona. We played in all the most important cities in the world, but Barcelona was missing. And it was no accident that it was missing, because we wanted to come here to celebrate the most important tournament. It’s a great emotion for us. Padel is growing a lot: today it’s played in more than 150 countries and we have more than 30 million players. But we have never forgotten our roots, our history. And Barcelona, in this sense, is the greatest strength we have. We wish everyone a fantastic tournament”.

Berni Álvarez has echoed this sentiment, saying, “Catalonia has been committed to padel for years, and hosting this event is clear evidence of that”.

The second panel discussion opened with Ramón Morcillo highlighting the “excellent health of padel in Spain in 2024”. Similarly, Felip Ródenas has expressed gratitude: “We thank everyone here today for making it possible to bring padel back to Catalonia and Barcelona”. To finish, Joan Cuscó has confidently stated, “This event will not disappoint anyone”.

The Best Season for Professional Padel

As the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour comes to an end, player Fernando Belasteguín has reflected on the first year of Premier Padel as a unified circuit in collaboration with the FIP. “This has been the best year in professional padel, and I hope that in every Finals presentation in the coming seasons, we can continue to say it’s the best year in professional padel. If we, as the pinnacle of the pyramid that is professional padel, work together and move in the same direction, I have no doubt it will have a positive impact on the different countries and federations”, the Argentinian has said.

David Serrahima, General Manager of Premier Padel, also has highlighted the success of the 2024 season: “This has been a transformational year for Premier Padel, consolidating its position as a global leader in the sport with new territories, strategic partnerships, unforgettable events, and an incredible experience for fans and players”.

Fernando Belasteguín to Say Goodbye to Professional Padel in Barcelona

Bela also announced that, regardless of whether he qualifies for the Finals by ranking, he will attend the event on December 21, when a tribute match will be held to honor his 30-year career in the sport, including 16 years as world number one. The exhibition match will feature some of his greatest rivals and teammates, such as Juan Martín Díaz, Seba Nerone, Juani Mieres, Gaby Reca, Pablo Lima, and celebrities Gianluca Vacchi and Carles Puyol.