- An announcement that goes beyond simple ‘sponsorship’
- A strategic choice at a key moment for Kuikma
- Hybrid Pro: the ‘signature’ padel racket at the heart of the project
- Co-creation as a promise (and a credibility test)
- The announced goal: to win on Premier Padel
- And Belgium in all of this: Clément Geens, already a Kuikma pioneer
- Key takeaways
- Official sources
An announcement that goes beyond simple ‘sponsorship’
The statement is clear: Decathlon welcomes Jorge “Coki” Nieto as the new Kuikma ambassador for the next three years, with a guideline summarized by a slogan: “Make your own luck” (make your own luck). The idea isn’t just marketing. It aligns with the image of a player built on consistency, discipline, and a very ‘clean’ padel game in his choices, often surgical in managing weak moments.
On paper, the profile is consistent: Nieto is currently ranked world No. 7 in the FIP ranking (updated on 2026-01-26), a position that places him in the restricted circle of players capable of winning (or helping to win) a major tournament when everything aligns.
A strategic choice at a key moment for Kuikma
The timing is no coincidence. Over the past few seasons, Kuikma has progressively moved upmarket, with a clear ambition: to prove that a ‘retail’ brand can exist in the premium market without skyrocketing prices… and without settling for an outsider role.
In the official statement, Nieto specifically emphasizes the personal dimension and his attachment to the brand: “Decathlon is a brand whose values I fully share… being able to compete at the highest level today with its products is something very special.”
In other words: the agreement is presented as a choice of values as much as a choice of equipment. And in a tour where equipment has become an extension of athletic identity, it’s a message that matters.
Hybrid Pro: the ‘signature’ padel racket at the heart of the project
For the 2026 season, Nieto will play with the Kuikma Hybrid Pro, announced as a versatile padel racket, designed to offer a balance of control/power. From the same source, the player gets straight to the point about his feelings:
This racket gives me the control I need without losing power. It perfectly matches my game style.
If you observe Nieto’s game, the approach makes sense: he needs a reliable touch to hold the diagonal, manage transitions, and accelerate at the right moment. A “hybrid” racket suits that padel style well: stable enough to absorb, agile enough to finish when the ball opens up.
A strong signal for amateur players and the padel market
The challenge for Kuikma is to transform a ‘pro’ validation into a concrete benefit for the amateur player. Not just saying ‘it’s a racket used by a world top 10 player’, but making the design choices clear: balance, maneuverability, forgiveness, long-term comfort. This is where the stakes are high for the brand: to convince on performance… and on the consistency of the quality/price ratio, point by point.
Co-creation as a promise (and a credibility test)
The partnership doesn’t stop at a signing. Decathlon announces a work of co-creation with Nieto, aiming for the development of a series of rackets in the coming years. Again, the player reminds us of the importance of the tool: “For a professional athlete, the racket is our tool… being able to participate in its development… is everyone’s dream.”
On Kuikma’s side, Frédéric Oudeville (Kuikma Padel Director) emphasizes the process: tests in extreme conditions, validation at the highest level, and the search for a better performance-durability ratio. This passage is important because it touches on a very concrete point: in padel, the racket must not only perform… it must also last, especially for players who hit hard and play many sessions.
The announced goal: to win on Premier Padel
The statement sets a clear target: to see a Kuikma racket win a Premier Padel tournament. This is not a detail: it’s a way of embracing head-on competition with historically established brands.
And Nieto concludes with a phrase that perfectly summarizes the mindset: “If I had to define this stage with KUIKMA in one word, it would be “challenge.” The challenge of taking DECATHLON to the top.”
On the court, it also creates a form of positive pressure: when a brand publicly announces this type of goal, every result becomes an indicator. Not just titles, but semifinals, finals, pivotal matches against benchmark pairs.
And Belgium in all of this: Clément Geens, already a Kuikma pioneer
In Belgium, Kuikma doesn’t arrive in untouched territory. Belgian No. 1 Clément Geens has been associated with the brand since 2024, a strong signal for a market where padel is growing fast and where Decathlon has a historical presence. The brand had notably highlighted him on its official channels, with dedicated content around the player.
This dual presence – a world top 10 player and the best Belgian player – reveals a clear strategy: to build a visible team both on the international stage and in countries where the sport is booming. For Belgian clubs and players, it’s also a point of reference: seeing a local player perform with Kuikma equipment is reassuring, because the ‘test’ isn’t just done on big TV courts, but also in playing conditions close to everyday life (tempo, balls, surfaces, humidity, sequence of tournaments).
Key takeaways
- Decathlon formalizes a 3-year partnership with Coki Nieto, current FIP world No. 7.
- The player will use the ‘signature’ Hybrid Pro and will participate in a co-creation process.
- The stated goal is ambitious: to win a Premier Padel tournament with a Kuikma racket.
- In Belgium, Clément Geens has been part of the Kuikma ecosystem since 2024, strengthening the brand’s local presence.
