Checkout.com, a leading global digital payments provider, today announced a partnership with global padel star Alejandro Galán. The 27-year-old athlete from Madrid was number one in the world in 2020, 2021 and 2022, winning more than 80% of the matches in more than 30 tournaments around the world. He currently ranks second in the world.
At the deal signing Checkout.com renewed calls for Padel to become an Olympic sport, starting at the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
Padel, a court sport played in doubles and requiring high levels of precision, has experienced rapid growth in recent years and there are currently 25 million Padel players globally. The estimated value of the padel club market was €1.78 billion last year, with projected 22% year on year growth in club numbers and an estimated industry value of €4.02 billion in 2026, according to the Global Padel Report 2023.
Currently, the sport is not eligible to be played in the Olympic Games because it does not comply with the 4th criterion of the Olympic Charter stating that the sport be played in a minimum of 75 countries and four continents in the men’s category, and 40 countries and three continents in the women’s category.
Checkout.com has pledged to do its part to change this, and ensure the sport’s inclusion in the 2032 Games, by encouraging take up of the sport across its 50+ countries through the opening of Padel Academies. In particular, these will focus on regions where Padel is not yet popular, including North America, Australia, Asia and Africa. Set to launch later this year, the Academies will be run by Checkout.com team members locally, with merchants and their partners invited to join. Checkout.com will aim for gender parity in participation, with equal numbers of men and women taking part. Currently 38% of Padel players globally are female.
Guillaume Pousaz, Founder and CEO at Checkout.com, said: “We are partnering with Ale to take Padel to the world’s highest-performing arena. He is an incredible athlete, committed to the development of the sport, and we want to be part of his exciting journey. At Checkout.com we are performance-obsessed, and nobody embodies this obsession better than Ale. I can’t wait to see what he achieves next in his career.”
Alejandro Galán, World number one Padel player, added: “it is really exciting for me to associate myself with a brand that values everything that contributes to success on the padel court such as concentration, resistance and technical precision. I admire Checkout.com’s high-growth, high-performance mindset. And of course I fully support their his plan to promote and develop padel worldwide to help it become an Olympic sport.”