From Grand Slam courts to iconic floating matches and VIP spaces at Paris Saint-Germain, Adel Aref has spent more than two decades redefining how racket sports intersect with luxury, entertainment, and global influence.
Franco-Tunisian, multilingual, and internationally respected, his journey spans elite tennis officiating, premium sports hospitality, padel’s professional rise, and now the future of pickleball and bespoke sports consultancy through AA Solutions. In this interview, Adel Aref shares his vision of sport as culture, spectacle, and a powerful platform for influence.
You began your career as one of the youngest Gold Badge referees in tennis history. How did that early recognition shape your mindset about excellence and discipline?
Starting tennis at age 8 between London and Tunis, I learned early that excellence requires consistency and attention to detail. Earning the Gold Badge at 24 taught me that in elite sport, every decision matters. That mindset, excellence isn’t negotiable, has guided everything since.
Officiating 26 Grand Slams and three Olympic Games is a rare achievement. What moments most defined you during those years on court?
The longevity itself. Being consistently trusted by international bodies over years built my credibility. I learned that in high-pressure moments, you must be invisible when things go right and decisive when they don’t.
The Federer–Nadal floating court match in Doha became legendary. What sparked the idea of turning a tennis match into a global spectacle?
I realized tennis didn’t have to be confined to traditional stadiums. The floating court showed that racket sports could be elevated into premium entertainment, sport as theater and culture, not just competition.
You’ve often spoken about sport as entertainment. Where do you draw the line between competition and showmanship?
The competition must always be authentic. Showmanship is about presentation, atmosphere, storytelling, but never compromises the integrity of the sport itself. Elite athletes want both: world-class competition in extraordinary settings.
At Paris Saint-Germain, you transformed the Carré VIP into a hub of culture, diplomacy, and influence. What does “luxury hospitality” truly mean in a sports context?
Luxury hospitality is creating spaces where power, culture, and sport intersect naturally. It’s about access, exclusivity, and invisible precision knowing what someone needs before they ask. That’s true luxury.
Hosting global icons like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Leonardo DiCaprio requires more than access. What is the secret behind managing high-profile personalities seamlessly?
Discretion, anticipation, and respect. The best hospitality is invisible: everything works perfectly without them ever thinking about the machinery behind it. You can’t fake authenticity.
How did your background in elite tennis help you raise standards in football hospitality at PSG?
Tennis taught me precision and protocol. I applied Grand Slam standards to PSG—world-class service, attention to detail, international protocol. Tennis showed me what excellence looks like; PSG gave me the platform to implement it at scale.
Padel has seen explosive global growth. As Tour Director of Premier Padel, what were the key pillars you focused on to professionalize the sport?
Three pillars: infrastructure (24-stage circuit, consistent standards), player experience (quality facilities, competitive prize pools), and global credibility (world-class production, strategic positioning as premium entertainment).
What lessons from tennis did you deliberately transfer to padel—and which ones did you have to reinvent?
From tennis: player relations, tournament standards, premium positioning. What I reinvented: the entertainment model. Padel is faster, more social, younger audience, it needed its own identity, not a tennis imitation.
Managing the career of Ons Jabeur adds another dimension to your profile. How does cultural proximity influence trust in athlete management?
Shared language and cultural context create a foundation of trust that’s difficult to replicate. I understand the pressures she faces representing Tunisia and the Arab world. That cultural connection allows efficient communication and mutual respect.
You are now launching Top Series Pickleball in EMEA. Why do you believe pickleball is the next major racket sport for the region?
Pickleball has everything EMEA needs: accessibility, speed, social appeal, explosive growth momentum. Tennis is established, padel is booming, pickleball is the next frontier. We’re at the inflection point, Top Series will professionalize it before anyone else does.
How will you differentiate Top Series Pickleball from existing circuits in terms of experience, image, and prestige?
Three pillars: Experience (premium hospitality, world-class player services), Image (positioning as entertainment and lifestyle, not amateur sport), Prestige (WPA ranking integration, competitive prize pools, flagship cities, premium brand partnerships). We’re applying 25 years of racket sports expertise from day one.
Across tennis, padel, and pickleball, what common thread defines a “premium” racket sports experience?
Never compromise on quality. Premium means world-class facilities, professional treatment, sophisticated production, attention to detail. Excellence is felt, not announced, it’s in the seamless execution.
With the creation of AA Solutions, you move into agency leadership. What gaps in the market are you aiming to fill?
We go beyond traditional sports management: athlete career strategy, tournament development, premium experience design, brand positioning. Few people have operated at elite levels across multiple racket sports and premium hospitality. That’s what AA Solutions offers.
Looking ahead, how do you see racket sports evolving as platforms for global influence, luxury branding, and cultural impact?
Racket sports are becoming platforms for lifestyle, culture, business, and influence not just sport. The future is convergence: creating experiences, building communities, generating cultural moments. Luxury brands see racket sports as ideal partnerships. The circuits that succeed will understand this evolution.