Padel is increasingly becoming a meeting point between the world of sport and the corporate environment. With this vision in mind, Business Padel Tour recently organised two business-focused events in Madrid and Barcelona, bringing together executives and professionals to reflect on how to manage pressure, improve performance, and maintain wellbeing in demanding professional environments.
Held under the concept “Taking care of yourself is also performance,” and in collaboration with OpenHealth, the events combined professional networking with open discussions on the parallels between elite sport and the corporate world.
Padel as a space for leadership and professional connection
In an increasingly competitive business environment -where workloads and pressure for results continue to grow- organisations are beginning to explore how to achieve high performance without falling into constant burnout dynamics.
In this context, padel provides a natural meeting space for professionals, fostering both networking and reflection on leadership, stress management, and team culture.
Sports and psychology experts discuss pressure management
The Madrid event featured sports psychologist and coach Carlos García alongside professional padel coach Manu Martín, who shared their experience working with athletes competing in high-pressure environments.
The discussion addressed topics such as:
Pressure management,
Self-demand and expectations,
Importance of recovery and rest,
Role of environment in team performance.
As Manu Martín highlighted, the similarities between elite sport and business are increasingly evident, “In both sport and business, pressure is part of the game. The difference lies in how it is managed. Teams that learn to regulate intensity and protect recovery periods are the ones able to sustain performance over time.”
Rest and recovery as a competitive advantage
The Barcelona session brought together sleep specialist Oriol Mercadé and professional padel player Enric Sanmartí.
The conversation focused on the importance of sleep and recovery as key factors for sustainable performance, both in sport and in the workplace.
According to Oriol Mercadé: “For a long time we have associated performance with constant intensity, but the body and mind are not designed to operate in permanent sprint mode. Sleeping well, recovering and learning to regulate pressure is not a wellbeing concession, it is a competitive advantage.”
Enric Sanmartí offered a unique perspective from professional sport, having balanced his competitive padel career with a professional career outside the court, describing padel as a “professional hobby” that has coexisted with his working life.
Sport and networking to strengthen professional relationships
In addition to the discussions, both events included networking sessions among professionals from different companies, reinforcing the idea that sport can also serve as a platform for building professional relationships beyond the traditional workplace environment.
According to the organisers, an increasing number of companies now recognise that performance is not built solely through targets and pressure, but also through healthy environments, team cohesion, and opportunities to connect outside the office.
Through these initiatives, Business Padel Tour continues to develop its “netsporting” concept, a model that combines sport, networking and corporate wellbeing to connect professionals and organisations both on and off the court.
The community currently operates in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, bringing together professionals from various industries who share padel as a space for competition, connection and collaboration.
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