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Audemars Piguet Brings Padel to Singapore
Audemars Piguet is hosting a Padel Pop-Up Club starting September 25, marking the brand’s first local event tied to its involvement in the sport. Held in the School Hall of New Bahru, a fashionable “lifestyle destination”, the event will combine padel sessions with a courtside lounge, welcoming experienced players and newcomers. Padel, like its American counterpart pickleball, is a fast-growing racquet sport that blends elements of tennis and squash. Usually played in doubles, the sport is synonymous with the social atmosphere that surrounds it. Recognising this, Audemars Piguet is hosting a courtside lounge to welcome those who are more interested in the social scene than scoring points on the court. Audemars Piguet formally got involved with padel back in May, announcing a global partnership as official timekeeper of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour, alongside sponsorship of Agustín Tapia, one of the sport’s top players. The tour agreement includes courtside clocks and branding at tournaments. While major sports like tennis, golf, and Formula 1 are saturated with watch brand partnerships, emerging sports like padel represent something of a Greenfield opportunity, especially with a younger audience. But that’s changing as brands adapt the well-established sponsorship playbook to the new domain. Earlier this year, Rolex added Spanish padel star Arturo Coello to its circle of celebrities, and Frederique Constant became the official watch partner of the Pro Pa...