Padel: High-speed fun
Although padel is played on an enclosed court, it's essential that the players think outside the box. In this sport, which is similar to squash, the walls surrounding the playing area are part of the game. This means that padel is primarily a game of tactics and skill, and easy for new players to pick up. The sport is played exclusively as a doubles match over a central net. The rules and scoring system are almost identical to those used in tennis. This means that the game involves long, spectacular rallies that are as fun for spectators as they are for players!
A young sport that's really taking off
Padel is a relatively new sport, which was developed specifically to be played over a small area, meaning padel courts can easily fit into the architecture of major cities. Currently, interest in this sporting discipline is growing all over the world. Padel courts are springing up around the globe, and the Padel World Championships and Padel European Championships are open to all age groups.
Urban, precise, powerful: Certina and padel
It's clear to see that Certina and the up-and-coming sport of padel are perfectly matched – both on and off the court. It's obvious what the two have in common: Padel is dynamic, urban, precise, fast-paced and powerful. All these things and more are true of the Swiss watchmaking brand as well. Certina has proudly demonstrated a love of sport for decades in the form of its robust, reliable watches. As a result, Certina is now proud to support the continued development of padel at a local level in a number of countries.
Urban, precise, powerful: Certina and padel
It's clear to see that Certina and the up-and-coming sport of padel are perfectly matched – both on and off the court. It's obvious what the two have in common: Padel is dynamic, urban, precise, fast-paced and powerful. All these things and more are true of the Swiss watchmaking brand as well. Certina has proudly demonstrated a love of sport for decades in the form of its robust, reliable watches. As a result, Certina is now proud to support the continued development of padel at a local level in a number of countries.
Certina and padel around the world
Netherlands
Certina has been an official timing partner of KNLTB Padel since 2022. This association has seen the sport grow from strength to strength: A total of 400 centres, 1100 courts and over 100,000 active players ensure that more and more fans are finding their feet with padel in the Netherlands. Certina is also a partner of the Copa de Padel, the most prestigious padel competition in the country, which takes place annually. The tournament, which uses the exciting "king of the court" format, is played in front of thousands of spectators and always promises nerve-racking moments, top performances and plenty of fun. Fans of the sport in the Netherlands can also look forward to another exciting padel event supported by Certina: The KNLTB is aiming to play the longest padel match ever – look our for more details soon. Stay tuned!
Switzerland
Certina is also supporting the up-and-coming sport of padel in the brand's home country of Switzerland. This sport is the perfect choice for anyone wanting to combine action and fun; Certina is excited to help establish padel as a popular sport in Switzerland. For this reason, the brand has partnered with SUIPA, the umbrella organisation for this booming sport in Switzerland, since 2022. As well as supporting a number of national padel centres, the watchmaking brand has also partnered with Valentin Wenger and Dylan Sessagesimi, the successful Swiss duo who are three-time Swiss padel champions. Born in 1994, Valentin is not just number one in his chosen sport in Switzerland, but also reached the quarter-finals of the Padel European Championships in 2021. In 2018, he paired up with Dylan, the second-best Swiss player – the two have demonstrated their skills on the court ever since.
GErmany
The sport of padel: Certina is a new partner to the DTB and the CUPRA German Padel Tour
To coincide with the start of the new season, Certina is further expanding its involvement in the up-and-coming sport of padel! The Swiss watch manufacturer has the honour of being a “Founding Partner of Padel” to the prestigious German Tennis Federation (DTB) as well as a Premium Partner and “Official Time Partner” of the CUPRA German Padel Tour. Padel is rapidly gaining new fans all over the world and it’s easy to see why – this fast-paced racquet sport is not only great fun for beginners to play, but also a thrilling sport for spectators to watch. Certina has been giving its support to this new discipline since 2022 – and on a global scale. The brand is especially proud to be a Premium Partner of Germany’s biggest padel tournament series, the CUPRA German Padel Tour, as of the start of the season in early March. Certina CEO Marc Aellen is delighted with the new collaboration and highlights the many parallels between the brand and this new sport: “Performance, dynamics, force, precision and passion are values that are central to both padel and our watches. We embody these values and offer exceptionally reliable products at affordable prices, making us the perfect candidate for the role of Premium Partner to the CUPRA German Padel Tour. That's why we wanted to take up that role right from the very start of the series. We can't wait to see what the tour year has in store for us.” As an experienced partner and timekeeper in sports, Certina will be bringing their expertise and style to proceedings. It is a real honour for the Swiss watch manufacturer to take part in the tournament award ceremonies, presenting the successful teams with high-quality watches at the final. The CUPRA German Padel Tour kicked off in the northern German city of Bergisch Gladbach on 2nd March 2024 and will keep bringing action-packed matches to various German cities right up until the final weekend in Dortmund at the beginning of September.
Austria
In Austria too, padel is gaining an increasing number of followers. Certina is supporting this development as an official event partner of the World Padel Tour's Vienna Padel Open tournament, which is held once a year at the Steffl Arena in Vienna. This spectacular showdown between the world's highest-ranking padel players provides the young, trending racquet sport with international visibility through TV broadcasts and social media posts. Certina will be live on location and will be awarding high-quality watches to the winners. The brand is also a partner of Padelzone – a young company that has made it its goal to bring padel to a wider audience, and to this end has set up new, high-quality padel facilities all throughout Austria.
Finland
Even right up in the Nordic Region, you can hear the swoosh of a swinging racquet. Certina is a partner of PadelLiitto, the Finnish association for the racquet sport of padel. It is also a partner of the CUPRA Finnish Padel Tour, which comprises ten events. The deciding matches are broadcast live on television. The best players in the tour are entered into the Certina ranking list, which is updated at every stage. The eight highest-ranking teams face off against each other at the Masters tournament in December, which marks the climax of the CUPRA Finnish Padel Tour 2022. The victorious pairs can look forward to receiving high-quality Certina watches. "We are very proud to be the official timing partner for Finnish PadelLiitto. Performance, dynamics, force, precision and passion are values that distinguish both the sport of padel and our watches. We look forward to a partnership that is certain to be full of emotion and action," says Certina CEO Marc Aellen.
Belgium
Certina has stepped onto the padel court in Flanders – and invites everyone to join in. The Swiss watchmaker is putting its name behind the "Start-to-Padel initiative" created by the Tennis Vlaanderen organisation. With several exciting events, a campaign for young players and the development of a new digital platform for beginners, Certina is helping to encourage the growth of this trendy new sport in Belgium. Gijs Kooken, CEO for padel at Tennis Vlaanderen, said: "With our new partner Certina, we have taken another important step in the process of expanding our squad of junior players, encouraging them, and providing an opportunity for anyone to get to grips with this fantastic sport. As an association, we are thrilled to have the support of such a major watchmaking brand and pleased to welcome Certina into the padel family."