PREMIER PADEL AND INTERNATIONAL PADEL FEDERATION UNVEIL 2026 QATAR AIRWAYS PREMIER PADEL TOUR CALENDAR AND INNOVATIVE NEW STAR POINT SYSTEM LAUNCHED

• New landmark tournaments in London (UK) and Pretoria (South Africa), expanding the Tour into major sporting markets. New Spanish tournament added (Valencia).

• Dynamic calendar across Europe, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas – with 26 tournaments across 18 countries in 2026.

• Nearly 75% of tournaments will be indoor in 2026 following player consultations.

• “Star Point System” implemented in 2026 – following FIP General Assembly and consultation with Premier Padel Steering Committees comprising 20 members across 11 stakeholder groups – and forthcoming discussion about tournament draw sizes.

LONDON, DOHA – 18 December 2025 – Premier Padel, the leading official professional padel tour worldwide, and the International Padel Federation (FIP), the world governing body of padel, today announce the eagerly anticipated 2026 Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour calendar; 26 tournaments across 18 countries – with nearly 75% indoors. The 2026 season will feature tournaments in two new markets – London (UK) and Pretoria (South Africa), and a new Spanish tournament (Valencia) – important additions to the Tour in Europe and Africa – showcasing professional padel’s global expansion across major sporting nations. The news follows this week’s announcement about the Hexagon World Series – an innovative collaboration between FIP, Hexagon Cup, and 54, in which Premier Padel is also a shareholder and major strategic partner.

Immediately following the Hexagon Cup (Madrid, 28 Jan-1 Feb), the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour will start, opening with the Riyadh Season P1 on 9 February 2026. It will be followed by Spain’s first tournament of the year in Gijón, before heading on its first trip to the Americas and the second editions of tournaments in Mexico (Cancun) and the US (Miami). Following a return to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe – with tournaments in Qatar (Doha), Egypt (New Giza) and Belgium (Brussels) – the Tour makes its South American return for tournaments in Argentina (Buenos Aires) and Paraguay (Asunción).

Europe takes centre stage between June and October – with tournaments across major European capitals and cities rich in sporting heritage. Ahead of the mid-season break in August – Premier Padel will debut tournaments in the UK (London) and South Africa (Pretoria) with fans welcoming the world’s top players for the first time. There will be a return to several recognised countries and locations including Italy (Rome, Milano), Spain (Malaga, Valladolid, Valencia, and Madrid), France (Bordeaux, Paris), the Netherlands (Rotterdam), and Germany (Dusseldorf). The Tour will then return to the Middle East for tournaments in Kuwait (Kuwait City), UAE (Dubai) – with the FIP World Cup being hosted in between Premier Padel events.

Following the long-term renewals of three Major tournaments (Qatar, Italy and Paris) earlier this year, the world’s best players will once again return to Doha in April, Rome in June and Stade Roland-Garros in September, before closing the regular season with the Mexico Major at the end of November in Acapulco. The Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals returns to Barcelona for its third edition from 7-13 December – where the top 16 ranked players in the FIP Race Ranking in both the men’s and women’s competitions will qualify to compete for the 2026 season title.

Star Point System introduced in 2026, consultation open on draw sizes

The 2026 season will also see the implementation of the new “Star Point” scoring system, driven by the need to balance tradition with innovation, while improving player welfare, broadcast appeal, and fan engagement. On 28 November 2025, the FIP General Assembly, composed of 100 national federations, unanimously approved an update to the FIP Rules Of Padel to include a new scoring format (See: FIP Rules Of Padel: Rule 1: Score In A Game – Option 2: Star Point System) amongst other updates.

Following a period of consultation with male and female players, coaches, promoters, broadcasters and commercial partners during the 2025 season, and after extensive discussion at the second meeting of the Premier Padel Steering Committees – comprising 20 members across 11 stakeholder groups – in Barcelona on 11 December 2025, Premier Padel and FIP have agreed the “Star Point System” will be implemented from the Riyadh Season P1 on the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour. The same system will also apply on the CUPRA FIP Tour from 2026, from the first stop – the FIP Bronze Melbourne Padel Open – onwards.

During the course of consultation on the Star Point System, the issue of Premier Padel tournament draw size was raised by several stakeholder groups. Premier Padel and the FIP have accordingly opened this discussion for 2026 and will continue talks across the padel ecosystem into the New Year, with plans to provide an update in January.

David Sugden, CEO of Premier Padel, said: “The 2026 calendar is a fantastic moment for professional padel, with the Tour entering three new cities and reaching a bigger audience than ever before. It not only reflects our long-term vision to expand padel’s global reach, but, with our first year in the UK and our second in the US, it also demonstrates how Premier Padel has driven padel into world’s most competitive sports markets. We are confident 2026 will be the best season the sport has ever seen – with innovation in the scoring system, more indoor tournaments, new entertainment concepts, and an ever greater focus on the fan experience, all contributing to a fantastic year ahead for players, fans and all our partners.” 

Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation (FIP) and Vice Chairman of Premier Padel, said: “Professional padel has never been stronger than it is today, and the 2026 calendar sets out how Premier Padel will develop the elite level of the sport even more. The entire pyramid is elevated by the further internationalisation of padel, reaching new and more diverse audiences, and supporting our collective Olympic ambitions. We are also delighted to see Premier Padel embracing feedback from across the ecosystem and adopting a FIP-backed innovative scoring system for 2026 – which will also be implemented in the CUPRA FIP Tour. Designed to preserve padel tradition, whilst improving player welfare and broadcast predictability, this move also aligns with International Olympic Committee objectives around sport innovation and fan-driven adaptations – propelling our sport forwards across the board”.