• • Measures were presented during Premier Padel Steering Committees meeting, where 20 representatives from 11 stakeholder groups shared views on the proposals and their potential impact on the future development of the sport
  • Key areas include qualifying draw sizes, reducing ranking-counting tournaments from 22 to 21, increasing FIP Ranking points in the opening rounds of Premier Padel events and introducing new participation regulations in the CUPRA FIP Tour
  • The meeting also covered Premier Padel’s wider growth across broadcast, media rights, calendar planning, commercial partnerships, digital innovation and international strategic activations
• 
  

ROME – 10 June 2026 – As professional padel continues to expand across new markets, audiences and commercial opportunities, Premier Padel and the International Padel Federation (FIP) have outlined a series of changes for the 2027 season aimed at supporting the next phase of the sport’s development while responding to one of its key priorities: player welfare, while at the same time being mindful of continued economic challenges faced by promoters.

The changes were presented during the Premier Padel Steering Committees in Rome, held alongside the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel, as part of a broader discussion on how to balance the demands of a growing international Tour with the long-term health, performance and career sustainability of players, and host organiser financial sustainability.

Building on feedback gathered across the professional padel ecosystem, the 2027 package focuses on ranking structures, competition formats and player participation across both Premier Padel and the CUPRA FIP Tour.

The package includes five key areas:

1. Ranking-counting tournaments

The number of tournaments counting towards the official FIP Ranking will be reduced from 22 to 21. This reduction has been made despite almost all stakeholders instead preferring an increase (not reduction) in tournaments, given the nascent awareness of padel in many parts of the world and the necessity of increased growth and activity to further the sport’s Olympic pathway.

2. 2. FIP Ranking points in Premier Padel events

FIP Ranking points awarded in the opening rounds of Major, P1 and P2 tournaments will be increased, strengthening the reward for players progressing through the early stages of Premier Padel events. The agreed new points system effective from 2027 is as follows:

3. 3. Premier Padel qualifying draw sizes

Men’s qualifying draw sizes will be harmonised with women’s qualifying draw sizes across Premier Padel events, creating greater consistency across the competition structure; ensuring high-level competition.

4. 4. CUPRA FIP Tour participation regulations

New participation rules will be introduced for top-ranked players competing in CUPRA FIP Tour events, based on each player’s ranking at the tournament registration deadline. The measures are designed to improve ranking pathways and opportunities for lower-ranked and emerging players, encouraging the development of talent from countries around the world, not only the sport’s traditional heartlands:

• FIP Gold: players ranked 1 to 4 will not be eligible to compete in the men and women’s draws. Players ranked 5 to 16 will only be able to participate through a tournament wildcard.
• FIP Silver: men’s players ranked 1 to 24 and women’s players ranked 1 to 20 will not be eligible to compete. No wildcard exceptions will apply.
• FIP Bronze: men’s players ranked 1 to 50 and women’s players ranked 1 to 40 will not be eligible to compete. No wildcard exceptions will apply.

5. 5. Players competing in multiple tournaments governed by FIP during the same week:

Players will only be able to register for two tournaments governed by FIP in the same week if they compete with the same partner, closing a loophole that gave an advantage to some players to accumulate more points. Such eligibility will also only be permitted when the player has a Main Draw direct entry in the CUPRA FIP Tour tournament. In such instance:

• FIP Ranking points earned across the two tournaments will be calculated as the average of the points obtained in both events.
• If that average is lower than the points earned at the Premier Padel event, the player will retain the Premier Padel points.

The Rome discussions highlighted the value of the Premier Padel Steering Committees in bringing different perspectives together around the same table, with 20 members from 11 stakeholder groups taking part, including male and female players, coaches, promoters, commercial partners, broadcasters, officials and independent members.

The exchange reflected both the complexity of the issues being addressed and the shared responsibility across the Tour to find solutions that work for all stakeholders, often with diverging views. Player representatives emphasised the importance of workload management, recovery and long-term health, while other stakeholders – particularly promoters – outlined the operational and commercial considerations linked to calendar and ranking adjustments, and how exhibition tournaments that enrich a small handful of players do not help grow padel and the wider ecosystem nor aid player workload.

Above all, the discussions showed a collective willingness to move forward through dialogue, balancing the needs of players with the continued growth, competitiveness and sustainability of Premier Padel.

The meeting also provided members with a broader update on Premier Padel’s continued development beyond the court, including audience growth, broadcast expansion, calendar planning, new commercial partnerships, digital innovation and strategic projects designed to strengthen the Tour’s international visibility.

Maxi Sanchez, players representative, said: “I believe this is an important step. Some of the solutions discussed in the Committee respond to concerns that players have raised for some time. Premier Padel is leading the way for our sport, and players want to compete in Premier Padel tournaments. Reducing the number of ranking-counting tournaments will help us manage our schedules better, improve recovery and protect our health, so that players can perform at their best every time they step on court.”

Joan Cuscó, President of Esedos Padel, organiser of Premier Padel tournaments in Spain and P1 Tournaments representative, said: “Tournament organisers naturally want every event to maintain the strongest possible position within the Tour, but we also understand that padel’s long-term development sometimes requires decisions that look beyond individual interests. While the reduction of ranking-counting tournaments from 22 to 21 may have a real impact on the ranking value and positioning of individual events, we recognise the importance of contributing to the broader needs of the sport. That spirit of shared responsibility is essential to strengthening padel’s long-term future and protecting its sustainable growth.”