UCPA and Padel Horizon team up to grow French padel

French padel is gaining fresh momentum: the non-profit UCPA group and the sports centre operator MARAGA have signed a strategic alliance designed to accelerate the growth of padel and other recreational sports. The two partners are pooling their experience to develop new venues and lift the booming French padel scene to a new level.

UCPA is a key player in the French sports and leisure landscape, while MARAGA runs high-end racket sport facilities under the Padel Horizon brand. Together they intend to build a nationwide offer that is open to players of every level and that further establishes padel as a mainstream sport. The agreement comes at a time when racket sports are seeing strong growth across the country.

MARAGA: facilities with ambition

MARAGA was founded in 2015 and operates a state-of-the-art padel and badminton centre in Sucy-en-Brie under the Padel Horizon brand. The company also runs the aquatic and squash venue Wave in Paris. Both sites stand for high-performance infrastructure, well-considered architecture and a clear focus on playing quality, regularly highlighted by experienced players.

The company places strong emphasis on environmental quality. The venues are deliberately designed for energy efficiency, sound material choices and long-term usability. Players are meant to enjoy a premium experience without compromising on ecological standards. This mix of comfort, performance and sustainability has quickly secured MARAGA a firm place in the French padel landscape. The lessons learned in Sucy-en-Brie now serve as a blueprint for further sites.

An alliance built on shared values

UCPA and MARAGA share a strongly sport- and education-driven culture. Both organisations see sport as a social tool that combines connection, movement and personal development. This common ground makes the partnership robust and viable for the long term. Unlike a purely financial deal, the focus is explicitly on a shared mindset that should shape training, events and club life.

The figures underline the scale: the padel academy in Sucy-en-Brie counts around 1,300 licensed members, ranking it among the most important schools in France. The Horizon squash academy adds another 200 licensed members. Such structures are not only training venues but social hubs with strong loyalty and long-term identification with the sport.

Thomas Juin, strategy director of UCPA, describes the project as a dedicated platform for new sites. By combining MARAGA entrepreneurial drive with UCPA experience and stability, a vehicle is taking shape that allows the systematic construction and operation of new sports centres. The message to the market is clear: this is meant to go far beyond a single pilot project.

A lever for national development

The alliance is explicitly geared towards growth. With UCPA backing, MARAGA aims to expand its activities in padel, badminton and further racket sports. The current operational team will remain fully in charge, securing the existing standards while moving new projects forward swiftly. The alliance therefore gains a strong operational backbone that should reinforce confidence in both running venues and new ventures.

The next major project is already in its final phase: a new centre with 13 padel courts and three badminton courts is being built in Lomme in northern France. The opening is scheduled for June 2026. The size of the project underlines the alliance industrial outlook, as venues of this scale are still rare in France and will significantly energise the local market.

The timing is no accident. The French padel federation has reported strongly rising membership figures for several years, and waiting lists at many clubs reflect an unbroken demand. New groups of players are also emerging beyond the major urban areas, looking for stable training venues. Anyone who creates reliable structures now is not only meeting current demand but positioning themselves for the next growth phase of French padel. The alliance is responding precisely to this market situation without restricting MARAGA entrepreneurial freedom.

Several other sites are under review, some at an advanced stage. Those involved openly speak of delivering several projects within the next two years and positioning Padel Horizon as a national brand. The strategy is not centred on isolated flagship projects, but on a connected network of venues with strong recognition and consistent quality standards.

Jean-Baptiste Piette, founder of Padel Horizon, stresses that aligning with an industrial partner like UCPA secures the company development. Padel Horizon should establish itself as a reference player in racket sports without losing its entrepreneurial and sporting identity. The aim is an offer that is accessible across the whole of France while preserving the founding spirit of the company.

About UCPA

UCPA is a non-profit group that has been committed to broadly accessible sport for decades. It is one of the most important providers of sports holidays and local leisure activities in France and operates more than 60 facilities across the country. Its core focus lies on social cohesion and on supporting young people through physical activity.

By taking a stake in MARAGA, UCPA consistently extends its portfolio towards racket sports and reinforces its mission to use sport as a social connector. Padel thus joins the activity catalogue of one of the largest French sports organisations and gains additional organisational reach across the entire country.