Fourteen new national federations join the International Padel Federation (FIP),
bringing the total number of members to 100.
• Launch of FIP Beyond, the new World Amateur Padel Tour open to all ages, genders, and nationalities.
• Regulatory updates of the National Teams World Championships (Junior and Absolute categories).
• Improvements to the Padel Regulations to make the sport more dynamic and attractive.
• Preliminary presentation of the World Padel Report 2025, showing that global participation exceeds
35 million players, an increase of 5 million year-on-year.
The 35th General Assembly of the International Padel Federation (FIP) took place in Acapulco, Mexico, bringing together presidents and official delegates of the member national federations.
FIP President Luigi Carraro opened the session by welcoming Jimena Saldaña, Secretary General of Panam Sports—the continental organization representing the Olympic Committees of the Americas—who attended the entire Assembly and praised the work of the FIP and its National Federations. Carraro also expressed his sincere thanks to Jorge Mañe, President of the Mexican Padel Federation and Padel America, for hosting the event during the Mexico Major Premier Padel.
One of the key announcements of the meeting was the affiliation of 14 new National Federations: Bolivia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Latvia, Malaysia, Panama, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Serbia, Chinese Taipei, and Yemen.
With these additions, the FIP reaches a historic milestone of 100 National Federations affiliated, further strengthening the rapid global expansion of padel.
Carraro presented a detailed review of the year’s activities, highlighting an exceptionally intense sporting calendar that—through Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises, and international team competitions—offered more than 550 tournaments across the men’s, women’s, and junior divisions in 2025 alone.
The President also emphasized the collective efforts of the FIP, Premier Padel, national federations, industry leaders, promoters, and sponsors, noting that this shared commitment has driven unprecedented development across all areas of the sport.
Road to the Olympics
Carraro outlined the continued progress of padel on its path toward the Olympic Games, confirming that in 2026 the sport will be present in four events recognized and sanctioned by the IOC:
• Asian Beach Games – Sanya, China
• FISU World University Padel Championships – Málaga, Spain
• Mediterranean Games – Taranto, Italy
• Asian Games – Aichi–Nagoya Prefecture, Japan
He also reaffirmed that the FIP has entrusted its full Anti-Doping programme to the International Testing Agency (ITA), ensuring the highest international standards of integrity and compliance.
Tournaments and Global Growth
The Premier Padel circuit will close 2025 celebrating 24 tournaments this season, including the Major in Acapulco currently underway and the Barcelona Finals later on.
The CUPRA FIP Tour continues expanding, with 307 tournaments—an increase of 78% compared to 2024—across more than 50 host countries and with the participation of over 5,000 athletes in the Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze categories.
The renewed FIP World Cup Pairs, recently held in Kuwait, was highlighted as a major success, offering 2,000 ranking points and prize money, and quickly consolidating itself as one of the most anticipated annual events in the sport.
New Projects
FIP Beyond – The World Amateur Padel Tour
The FIP officially presented FIP Beyond, a new global amateur circuit designed for players of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. This unified pathway seeks to promote participation, excellence, and a sense of belonging, reflecting the FIP’s commitment to an inclusive global padel ecosystem oriented toward the community — from grassroots development to support for young players, amateurs, former professionals, and legends of the sport.
FIP Promises – New Junior Structure
The FIP Promises junior circuit recorded 175 tournaments last year, an increase of 120%. Starting in 2026, Promises will adopt a new structure with four continental circuits (Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa), each with its own calendar and ranking system, and will introduce a FIP Promises World Tour Sub-18 in 2027.
FIP Academy
Carraro also emphasized the strategic role of FIP Academy, the educational platform for coaches and referees. The Academy supports national federations and the global padel community in building solid internal structures and advancing the professionalization of the sport worldwide.
Improvements in the Sport
Regulations
Updates were presented to the regulations of both the FIP World Padel Cup and the FIP Junior World Padel Cup, introducing technical and structural adjustments to ensure broader and more balanced participation.
The FIP also announced updates to the Padel Regulations, aimed at increasing the dynamism of the sport and improving the experience for players and spectators.
Closing Remarks by President Carraro
“This General Assembly demonstrates how we are growing and improving year after year—and how our growth continues to be sustainable. Starting from the base of the pyramid, at grassroots level, and working together with our National Federations, our movement is evolving in a controlled and structured manner, ensuring that the top of the pyramid—the professional padel circuit—can develop under the highest standards.
“Since 2019, the number of national federations within the FIP has more than tripled. With today’s new Member Federations, we have reached 100 members. And we are not stopping here: padel is played in more than 170 countries, in three-quarters of the world’s population, and we want our community to continue expanding.
“I thank each of our new Members for their work and continued support. We should be proud of what we have achieved so far, but also look forward with the ambition to continue improving, because united we are stronger.”