Padel tournament prizes: 5 better ideas than a trophy

Why a prize that gets used always wins

A trophy or a cup says one thing: you won. After the photo it disappears into a cupboard. A custom padel racket says the same thing every week, on court, in front of opponents and club mates. It is a living reminder of your tournament.

A keen player is on court every week. Three winners with a tournament racket means your tournament logo is visible on court week after week, in front of different people each time. Compare that with a plastic trophy in a living room.

Tournament prizes tend to be the part of an event that organisers sort out last. That is a shame, because the prize is what stays with the winners and the field longest. Below are five alternatives to the standard cup, from cheap to premium.

1. A custom padel racket with tournament branding

The winner gets a racket carrying the logo of your tournament, your sponsor or your club. Every time they use it, they and everyone around them see the name of your event. A cup sits on a shelf. A racket goes to the court every week.

A further advantage: you can differentiate by category. The winner gets a Full Custom racket, face plus side, the runner-up a racket with the face printed only, and the rest of the field a premium cover or another accessory.

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2. A personalised sports bag or backpack

Less striking than a racket, but broadly useful. It works well as a giveaway for everyone taking part, where the volumes are larger and the cost per person lower. Combine it with a custom racket for the top three.

3. An experience voucher for lessons or a clinic

What most players actually want is to get better. A voucher for a padel clinic with a well-known coach makes a good second prize. Not a physical product, but something they will use.

4. A water bottle with the event logo

Simple, functional, cheap. Best as a giveaway for participants rather than a winner prize. One thing to watch: choose stainless steel or Tritan over cheap plastic, because that is what survives to the next tournament.

5. A blank racket as a side prize

For a raffle or the winners of a lower category, a blank racket works well: the same 100% carbon racket as our custom models, without personalisation, for €79.99. Want to give the winners something of their own after all? Put just their name on the face (Basic, €99.99).

Differentiating prizes by category

Most tournaments run several categories: men, women, mixed, juniors, over-40s. Instead of three cups for the main draw, you can offer a winner prize in every category.

A practical example: 5 categories, with a Full Custom racket for the winner of each. That is 5 rackets at €99 each ex VAT, so €495 in total. For the runners-up, a premium cover at €15 each. Everyone goes home with something, and the budget stays clear.

The advantage of differentiating: players in the lower categories have something to play for. The winner prize is visible and attractive, not only for the number one in the strongest draw.

Sponsor branding on tournament rackets

If you have a sponsor, a custom tournament racket is a sponsorship asset as well as a prize. The main sponsor logo on the face, the tournament logo on the side. The winner carries both onto the court.

That is attractive for sponsors: they see their brand on court every week, in the hands of players. It lasts a good deal longer than a banner beside the court that gets rolled up when the tournament ends.

Several logos on one racket? That is possible. As long as there is room on the face, we can place two or three logos: tournament, sponsor, club. We check this before we start.

How far ahead should you order?

Allow 7 to 14 working days of production for a business order of tournament rackets, depending on the quantity. If you have a fixed event date, plan backwards: order confirmed is day 0, production in our workshop takes 7 to 14 working days, then DHL takes at most 3 working days anywhere in Europe. When in doubt, a week too early beats a day too late.

A concrete schedule for tournament organisers:

• Six weeks before the event: send your design or request a quote with logo and quantities.
• Five weeks before: place the order.
• The weeks after that: production runs in the workshop, then DHL ships the rackets.
• One week before: rackets in hand, ready for the podium.

Send us an email or request a quote with your date and quantities. We are happy to help with the planning and with how to differentiate the prizes.

What does a custom racket cost as a prize?

From 5 rackets: €99 each ex VAT, Full Custom with the face and the side printed. Individual names or category numbers are included as standard. The more rackets, the lower the price each: €89 from 10, €79 from 25 and €74 from 50, with an individual quote for 100 or more. The full list is on our business page.

For the wider business picture, including how clubs and companies use branded rackets through the season, see padel racket with a logo for businesses and teams. Clubs that hand out rackets through the whole season will find more in custom padel rackets for clubs, and if the winners will use their prize in official matches, check the custom padel racket tournament rules first.

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