English
Fourty two Dutch female and male players rank among the top five hundred in the FIP ranking published on 1st May. Some of them are known in the padel scene in Holland, such as Peter Bruijsten, Berend Boers, Bram Meijer or Marcel Bogaart. But some others are newcomers, such as Dirk-Jan Jannink, Peter Amerika or Jeroen Froma. It is an impressive number for a country with only 20 plus padel clubs.
Their real level
Thou it may look remarkable to have such a large number of Dutch male players (39) and it is tempting to think that they are among the best in the world, the reality is quite another. Most of the Dutch players are of intermediate level and only very few of them would be able to play as high as a second class in Spain -there are up to seven categories in some regions-. In fact, most of them would play third to fifth class.
The reason why so many Dutch players are entering the FIP ranking is not their high level of play; it is their remarkable commitment to competing and high interest of the Dutch clubs in organizing FIP/Nederlandse Padelbond tournaments. They know of their added value. As such, Holland is organizing a large portion of all of the FIP 100 tournaments in the world. And in 2017, the amount of FIP 100 tournaments in the country of the tulips will be even higher. The good news is that surely, as Dutch players continue to compete, their true level will continue to increase.
Where are the Dutch women?
Three dutch Ladies are currently present at the FIP ranking. This reflects the difficulty to organize tournaments that meet the FIP standards. A minimum of twelve teams should participate in a FIP/Nederlandse Padelbond competition. Hardly ever in Holland you would find such a tournament; the same is valid to many other countries.
Best Ranked Dutch
Female
Male
