FILE PHOTO: Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; BWT Alpine F1 Team driver Pierre Gasly (10) of Team France walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images/File Photo
(Reuters) - French Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly is stepping into the fast-paced world of padel, partnering with entrepreneur Loic Fery to launch 10Padel as the eighth and final team for the Hexagon Cup.
The competition, which will take place between Jan 29 and Feb 2 in the Madrid Arena, is rapidly becoming a marquee event in one of the world’s hottest emerging sports.
Padel combines elements of tennis and squash. It is played in doubles format on a smaller court enclosed by glass and wire mesh walls, where the ball can bounce off the walls, making for longer rallies and strategic play.
Gasly, who competed in Formula 1 for seven seasons, is no stranger to the thrill of competition.
"I love this sport, which shares the same competitive spirit and passion that drives me on the Formula 1 circuits," he said.
Joining Gasly is French businessman Fery, the president of Ligue 2 club FC Lorient.
The two bonded over padel after the Miami Grand Prix and soon found themselves dreaming up 10Padel, which will now compete against teams owned by the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Rafa Nadal.
The second edition of the Hexagon Cup will feature eight squads led by high-profile figures across sport and entertainment.
"We’re here to make a mark," Gasly said.
The Hexagon Cup features an innovative team format in which the world’s best professional players, divided into male, female, and Next Gen categories, join forces to compete in teams led by prominent personalities from sport and entertainment.
A recent report by the sport's governing body said the global padel community has grown to nearly 30 million players across 130 countries, following a massive surge in popularity, particularly in Europe and Latin America.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
