Padel
Pablo Herreros: How 'el4set' became the voice of padel's new generation
Pablo Herreros launched el4set, a padel media platform, from his bedroom when creators had little place in the sport. Today, players come to him for interviews. Here's how he tells padel's story.
At the 2019 World Padel Tour Master Final, Pablo Herreros had no press area to work from. The tour had no system for accrediting content creators or getting them in front of players. Herreros went anyway.
"Basically, I was the only content creator there, even though I didn't know that was what I was at the time," he says. "Other people were posting content on social media, but they combined it with other jobs within the tour."
His ambition, however, has always extended beyond individual tournaments or players. "Since I started more than seven years ago, my goal has been to help internationalise the sport. That has come through telling the stories of the best players in the world, helping people understand the characteristics of different rackets, showing real training sessions, and much more," says Herreros.
Premier Padel is now central to that mission. Through interviews, behind-the-scenes access and educational content, el4set aims to make the sport's highest level accessible to Spanish-speaking fans and international audiences alike.
"Fortunately, because we have a good relationship with many of the players, we are sometimes able to tell stories that go beyond what everyone can see on court," he explains.
The media around him has changed beyond recognition. In 2019, the tour issued no specific accreditations for content creators and didn't even hold press conferences. Today, tournament press events can be packed with creators covering a sport that has attracted an entirely new generation of media.
Herreros welcomes the competition, especially the emergence of creators from countries beyond Spain and Argentina. For him, the challenge is to keep finding new ways to tell the sport's stories.
"Competition ultimately pushes me not to stand still, to keep trying to do things better and, above all, differently," he says. "I think you can clearly see how both the quality and the variety of content have evolved."
01
Taking inspiration from the world of esports
Herreros spends plenty of Premier Padel weeks on the mic, but he has never tried to sound like a traditional sports broadcaster. "I don't see myself as a traditional padel commentator, mainly because of my own tastes," he says. "My generation grew up listening to esports casters and commentary around events outside the traditional sports model, and I think padel should reflect some of that difference too."
Watch the video below to see the unique access Herreros gets to padel's best players
For Herreros, there's far more to comment on than the action between points. "It's a sport that gives you so many opportunities to go beyond the point itself: what happens on the bench, comments on court, exchanges between players," he explains. "I think knowing each player well, both their level and style of play, and their personality, helps a lot."
That knowledge provides the foundation for a style built largely on instinct. "In my case, I'd say about 75% is improvisation, built on prior knowledge of the players, the tournament, and my general experience," he says. He prepares hard facts and matchup statistics in advance, but leaves room for the unexpected. "I think the magic comes from improvisation and from those moments that, no matter how much you try, you simply can't prepare for."
Herreros is also enthusiastic about how the broadcast itself is evolving. There is now dedicated programming, interviews between matches and discussion panels, which have introduced a new dimension to padel coverage.
"It's something I hadn't seen before," he says. "I think adding that extra layer to the broadcast and giving fans something beyond the match itself is key, and it has been a real success."
02
The team behind el4set
"The reality is that we produce a huge amount of content every day," says Herreros. With a team of four, el4set covers everything from player interviews, challenges and racket reviews to tactical analysis and training sessions with elite coaches, as well as tournament coverage.
Pablo Herreros has been covering padel for more than seven years
© Pablo Herreros
Thanks to padel, I can say I've traveled to places and had experiences I never could have imagined
The formats vary considerably in the time and effort they demand. Podcasts follow a set structure, leaving less room for improvisation, while other projects can consume entire days. "We literally spend days focused only on ideation, storytelling, production, filming, and editing," he says.
Managing that workload requires a clear plan. The el4set team divides its output into content categories, each with an allocated share of the overall schedule. In practice, though, that balance shifts from week to week as sponsor commitments, breaking news and personal projects compete for attention.
"Without that framework, we'd go crazy, because our natural ambition is to create a lot of content," he says. "We come up with so many ideas, and so many projects are presented to us that I genuinely wish we could do all of them."
The tournament calendar adds another layer of complexity. Premier Padel's 2026 season spans 24 stops across 16 countries, but el4set doesn't attempt to cover every event. "We don't travel to every tournament, thankfully. That would be crazy," he says. "Last year, for example, we spent more time away from home than at home over the course of the year.
"Thanks to padel, I can say I've travelled to places and had experiences I never could have imagined. As Avicii put it, I want to live a life I'll remember, and travel helps me do exactly that."
03
Becoming a favourite among the padel stars
Having covered padel so intently for the last several years, Herreros has developed relationships with a lot of the top players. But he explains that these have "developed genuinely, without me trying to force them, simply by being myself".
"There are now younger generations of players who grew up watching my videos and who now ask to be interviewed by me, whereas in the past I was naturally the one asking them for interviews," he says. "It's a really nice thing, and I feel honored when it happens."
Over the years, he has interviewed stars such as Alejandro Galán, Juan Lebrón, Arturo Coello, Delfi Brea and Bea González, among many others. However, one player who particularly surprised him was Juan Tello.
Herreros regularly interviews padel's best players, such as Alejandro Galán
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
"On court he looks very serious, almost like he's angry at the world, and off court he is completely different," says Herreros. "He's one of the funniest guys you can find, and whenever I've had filming sessions with him, he's also one of the players most willing to put in the work for the shoot, even when it takes a long time."
Building those relationships can be an advantage when telling players' stories, but it also raises a question: how does Herreros balance personal rapport with his responsibility to analyse their performances honestly?
"I like to think the players know how to separate a comment I make about their level of play from what I think of them as people," he says. "Agustín has always treated me warmly and naturally, which is just the way he is, and I don't think saying that he didn't perform at his usual level in a particular tournament is going to change that. I've always believed that, as long as it comes from a place of respect, you can express an honest opinion."
04
Two channels for two very different markets
Running el4set in Spanish and the4set in English has confirmed a hunch Herreros had before he started: audiences consume padel content differently depending on how established the sport is in their market.
"Spanish-speaking audiences consume padel content differently from English-speaking audiences, mainly because of how mature the sport is in each market," he says.
In Spain and Argentina, coverage of Premier Padel leads the way. In emerging markets such as Indonesia, educational and product-focused content tends to matter more. The same is true of audiences in the UK, the US and Australia.
Padel has begun to expand into new markets
© Premier Padel/Red Bull Content Pool
"People often find it difficult to understand racket materials, tactics, different shots, and they really appreciate that kind of content," he says. "I notice it every time I speak with followers at tournaments around the world."
For padel to grow in a new market, however, he believes the foundations must come first. Private investment in courts and clubs creates opportunities to play, while events, word of mouth and celebrity involvement help introduce the sport to wider audiences.
"The great advantage of padel is that once you try it, you get hooked," he says. Content can then help newcomers understand the game, particularly its technique and equipment, which "are usually the first two areas any new player wants to understand".
Only after that initial introduction can professional padel really capture their imagination. "Only then can they truly appreciate what Arturo Coello or Alejandro Galán are doing on a padel court," he says. "Otherwise, it is hard to understand just how out of this world these guys really are."
05
How padel can continue to expand globally
The moment that impressed Herreros most this season came in London. The inaugural London Premier Padel P1 took over the Olympia in August, selling out day after day and attracting an estimated 20,000 spectators before finals day.
"I didn't expect the first edition to be held in such a striking venue as Olympia, or to attract so much local support," he says. "Asia is waking up very quickly, and I think it is the next big frontier for Premier Padel."
Italy offers a glimpse of what that growth can look like. Its climate and sporting culture have helped make it a natural fit for padel, and the sport has flourished there. "If padel succeeded in Spain, it was easy to imagine it could succeed in Italy too, and that's exactly what happened," adds Herreros.
Calvo and Fernández raise the London P1 trophy alongside Tapia and Coello
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
"The players are treated like true rock stars," he says. "I think a big part of Italy's success comes from how social the sport is there. The match matters, but so does the time people spend together afterward."
The next market he'd most like to see take off is the US. Having lived there, he has followed the arrival of events such as Premier Padel and Reserve Cup in Miami. But he believes the country needs time to embrace the sport more widely.
"Simply: time," he says. "More and more influential people are investing in the sport and helping introduce it to a wider audience. It needs to move beyond being perceived as a sport mainly played within Latino communities and establish itself in states where traditionally American sports dominate."
06
What padel needs to do to reach the next level
For Herreros, padel has the ingredients to capture a young audience competing for attention with football, F1 and gaming. The challenge is to turn that initial appeal into a lasting connection with the sport.
"Padel is so different from other sports that it has a huge opportunity to succeed simply because it is spectacular and human at the same time," he says. "I do think it is essential for Premier Padel to go beyond what happens on court, the way Formula 1 has done, and start building stories around the best players in the world. Without idols people can identify with, it is harder to become invested in a storyline, and ultimately, this sport is full of stories."
Delfina Brea topped the world rankings alongside Gemma Triay
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
I do think it is essential for Premier Padel to go beyond what happens on court and start building stories around the best players in the world
He also has a practical suggestion for improving how those stories reach new audiences: give content creators limited access to broadcast footage, following the NBA's example. "I would allow creators to use certain broadcast clips under clear rules that protect broadcasters' investment," he says.
Herreros is optimistic about what comes next. "In ten years, Premier Padel will be the fastest-growing sports tour in the world," he adds. "The people telling the story of its ecosystem will be more professional, more committed, and above all, more international."
07
Where can I watch Premier Padel?
Red Bull TV broadcasts every Premier Padel match from the quarter-finals onward, meaning every match from Friday to Sunday.
Find more information on all tournaments, including ticketing, match schedules, current scores, player updates, and all the latest news on the Premier Padel website.
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