After incorporating four of the world's best padel players into its tribe, CUPRA goes up to the net in order to reinforce its presence in this sport with a special partnership with the World Padel Tour (WPT) for the three upcoming years.
The new automotive brand becomes the official international partner of the padel circuit during 2019. Thus, CUPRA will be present at six WPT events: London Exhibition (3-4 July), Portugal Padel Master (14-22 September), Brussels Exhibition (27-29 September), Paris Challenger (30 September-6 October), London Padel Master (14-20 October) and Mexico Padel Open (25 November-1 December).
The agreement was signed this Wednesday at the CUPRA central offices and was attended by SEAT President and chairman of the Board of Directors of CUPRA Luca de Meo and CUPRA director of Strategy, Business development and Operations Antonino Labate, as well as WPT CEO José Luis Serrano and the circuit’s general director Mario Hernando.
A unique pair until 2021
The agreement between CUPRA and WPT also extends to the next two years. In 2020 and 2021, the brand will become the premium sponsor of the circuit and will be present at all national and international tournaments.
CUPRA will be present at six international padel tournaments in 2019.
With this move, the sporty, competitive spirit that CUPRA transmits inside and outside the circuit is now transferred onto the padel court with a plan to promote the international expansion of the immensely popular raquet sport.
"CUPRA and the World Padel Tour are two budding success stories that have conquered car and sport lovers since their inception. We both want to help padel in its international expansion, and playing on the same side is the best formula to ensure victory", says SEAT president and chairman of the Board of Directors of CUPRA Luca de Meo.
Furthermore, World Padel Tour CEO José Luis Serrano welcomes CUPRA’s arrival to the circuit: "Nowadays, for a competition to be important, it must associate with equally relevant companies. At WPT we believe that our alliance with CUPRA is strategic; we have closely followed the brand’s evolution and progression in Spain and internationally, and we believe it has a spectacular future that we would like to be a part of for many years."
CUPRA takes the court by storm
Last May, CUPRA broke into this racquet sport by assembling a unique team of ambassadors with Fernando Belasteguín, Pablo Lima, Alejandra Salazar and Ariana Sánchez.
The four players have sported the CUPRA logo on the court in all WPT tournaments since the beginning of the 2019 season. The new members of the CUPRA tribe are among the ten best players in the world and have conquered this sport since their arrival at the circuit.
Padel has grown exponentially in popularity in recent years. In addition to becoming the second most widely practiced sport in Spain with more than five million players, it is also the fastest growing sport in Europe and the installation of new facilities is seeing triple-digit growth.
With CUPRA now making inroads in padel, players can experience the challenge of creating their own path anywhere in the world.
At the wheel of the CUPRA Ateca
In addition to observing the CUPRA logo in various corners of the court and the tournament facilities, padel fans will be able to enjoy the CUPRA Ateca during all matches, as it will be on display next to the centre court.
Launched at the end of 2018, CUPRA’s first model has boosted the brand’s sales with nearly 5,000 units sold since its introduction in the market. Its great success has driven the new brand to deliver 10,300 cars in the first five months of 2019, a 76.8% growth over the same period of last year.
The CUPRA Ateca was the first model launched by CUPRA, and it is also the four players’ best ally for achieving their goals outside the padel court. It is equipped with a two-litre petrol powered TSI engine featuring four cylinders, direct injection and turbocharger, which delivers 300 hp and 400 Nm of maximum torque. Coupled with a seven-speed DSG gearbox and 4Drive all-wheel drive, the CUPRA Ateca was developed by car lovers for car lovers who enjoy a sophisticated, personal, sporty and refined lifestyle.
