The 35th General Assembly of the International Padel Federation (FIP) was held in Acapulco, Mexico, with the attendance of presidents and official delegates from national federations, coinciding with the fourth and final Major of the season.
FIP President Luigi Carraro opened the proceedings by welcoming Jimena Saldaña, Secretary General of Panam Sports – the organization representing the National Olympic Committees of the Americas – who attended the Assembly throughout its duration. Saldaña praised the work of the FIP and its national federations. Carraro also expressed his gratitude to Jorge Mañe, President of the Mexican Padel Federation and Padel America, for hosting the Mexico Major Premier Padel.
Among the highlights of the Assembly was the announcement of 14 new national federations joining the FIP: Bolivia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Latvia, Malaysia, Panama, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Serbia, Chinese Taipei, and Yemen.
With these new members, the FIP now counts 100 affiliated national federations, confirming the sport’s continued international growth.
Carraro then reviewed the Federation’s activities over the past year, noting a particularly busy sporting calendar: between Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises, and international competitions for national teams, over 550 men’s, women’s, and team tournaments were organized in 2025 alone.
The President also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the FIP, Premier Padel, national federations, partners, promoters, and sponsors, emphasizing how this joint effort is driving unprecedented growth across all areas of the sport.
Olympic Path
Carraro outlined padel’s progress toward greater recognition in the Olympic arena, confirming that in 2025 the sport will feature in four IOC-recognized events:
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Asian Beach Games – Sanya, China
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FISU World University Padel Championships – Málaga, Spain
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Mediterranean Games – Taranto, Italy
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Asian Games – Aichi Prefecture–Nagoya, Japan
Further updates are expected in the coming months. Carraro confirmed that the FIP’s entire anti-doping program is managed by the International Testing Agency (ITA), ensuring the highest international standards.
Tournaments and global development
The Assembly also reviewed the results achieved by the Premier Padel circuit and the CUPRA FIP Tour. Premier Padel reached 24 tournaments this season, including the Acapulco Major and the Barcelona Finals, while the CUPRA FIP Tour totaled 307 tournaments across more than 50 countries, with over 5,000 athletes competing in the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories, representing a 78% increase compared to 2024.
The renewed FIP World Cup Pairs, recently held in Kuwait, was hailed as a major success, both for the ranking points awarded (2,000) and the prize money, quickly establishing itself as one of the most anticipated events of the year.
New initiatives
FIP Beyond – The New Global Amateur Circuit
The FIP officially launched FIP Beyond, a global circuit for amateur players of all ages and backgrounds. The initiative aims to foster participation, growth, and community, reinforcing the FIP’s vision of an inclusive ecosystem involving youth, amateurs, former professionals, and padel legends.
FIP Promises – The New Youth Structure
The FIP Promises youth circuit recorded 175 tournaments in the past year, reflecting a 120% growth. From 2026, a new structure based on four continental circuits (Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa) will be introduced, each with its own calendar and ranking. The FIP Promises World Tour Under-18 will debut in 2027.
FIP Academy
Carraro emphasized the key role of the FIP Academy, a training platform for coaches and referees, which supports national federations in building solid infrastructures and professionalizing padel worldwide.
World Padel Report 2025
Carraro provided a preview of the 2025 World Padel Report, prepared by the FIP Research & Data Analysis Department and soon to be released on Padelfip.com. The report confirms strong global growth trends and highlights significant increases in the number of padel clubs and courts worldwide. Currently, the global padel community exceeds 35 million players, up by more than 5 million compared to 2024.
This year’s edition serves as a comprehensive global atlas of padel, offering detailed insights into FIP member nations and key development indicators, further underscoring the sport’s remarkable international expansion.
“This General Assembly demonstrates how our movement is growing and improving year after year, and how this growth remains sustainable. Starting from the grassroots level and working closely with our National Federations, our movement is developing in a structured and controlled manner, ensuring that the top of the pyramid – professional padel – can grow according to ever-higher standards.
Since 2019, the number of FIP-affiliated national federations has more than tripled. With today’s new members, we have reached 100. And we will not stop here: padel is played in over 170 countries, involving three-quarters of the world’s population, and we want our community to continue expanding. I thank each of our members for their constant commitment and support. We should be proud of the results achieved so far, but also look ahead with the ambition to continue improving – because together we are stronger.”
