This October, the International Padel Federation (FIP) in collaboration with the Qatar Tennis Federation will host the 17th edition of the FIP World Padel Championships at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
The news was revealed in May, when Qatar was selected to host this year’s tournament based on the availability of world-class sporting facilities, the conditions and support for players, and the country’s previous experience of hosting major events, as well as the strategic geographic location.
The flagship FIP bi-annual event has the participation of 16 national teams across both the men’s and women’s categories. The 17th FIP World Padel Championships will have a prize pool of €500,000, equally distributed between men and women to all countries qualified for the final stage.
Completing the series of World Championships in padel, the FIP World Padel Championships follows on from the FIP Seniors World Padel Championships in La Nucía, Alicante, in April this year, and the FIP Juniors World Padel Championships in Asunción last year.
The FIP World Padel Championships returns to Doha three years after the remarkable success of the 2021 edition. A total of 16 female teams and 16 male teams from 19 countries competed, with Spain triumphant in both the men’s and women’s team competitions and Argentina winning silver in both categories.
The last edition of the FIP World Padel Championships took place in 2022 in Dubai and saw Argentina winning the men’s tournament while Spain triumphed in the women’s category.
International Padel Federation President Luigi Carraro said, ‘We are delighted to finalise the venue for the 2024 FIP World Padel Championships. Doha is a special home for padel – the Qatar Tennis Federation has played an integral role in repeatedly delivering unparalleled international padel tournaments; and we look forward to players and fans enjoying the fantastic hospitality and conditions during the most important tournament in our 2024 calendar. The 2024 FIP World Padel Championships will showcase the most talented athletes in the world and we cannot wait to deliver another historic edition of the tournament later this year.’
Qatar Tennis Federation President Nasser Al Khelaifi said, ‘We are delighted to host the FIP World Padel Championships 2024 in Qatar at our world class facilities in the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha. Qatar has an exceptional track record of delivering fantastic major sporting events based on the highest standards, and where the conditions for players and fans are second-to-none. We look forward to partnering with the International Padel Federation to deliver this pinnacle tournament, and continuing to support FIP’s mission to drive the growth and development of padel worldwide.’
Padel progress
In August 2023, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), a subsidiary of the Qatari sovereign wealth fund and one of the world’s leading sports investment companies, acquired the World Padel Tour (WPT) from the Spanish Damm Group, the owner of Setpoint Events, which organises the tour.
This marked a significant turning point in the sport. The move will merge Premier Padel, the new circuit created following QSI’s investment partnership with the International Padel Federation (FIP) in February 2022, and the rival WPT, uniting them into a single global professional padel tour.
It will be operated by QSI but governed by the International Padel Federation (FIP). The deal reflected months of negotiations between the involved parties, and resolved around 18 months of disputes between QSI, FIP, and professional padel players who participated in both tours. A new unified Premier Padel global tour, overseen by FIP, commenced in 2024.
The acquisition of WPT will add to a portfolio of interests which includes the French football club, Paris Saint-Germain FC and an almost 22% stake in the Portuguese football club Sporting Braga.
Padel is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, with tens of millions of players around the world. An estimated 25 mn people currently play padel in 110 countries.
The popularity of padel in Qatar has also sky-rocketed in just the last couple of years, thanks to huge investment by Qatar Tennis Federation, and a passionate local fan base.
This acquisition will further accelerate the sport’s international growth, and also reflects the growing influence of the Gulf region in the international sports arena. QSI has immense resources and a commitment to promoting padel both domestically and internationally.
Speaking as Chairman of QSI about this significant event, Nasser Al Khelaifi said, ‘This is a historic moment for the sport of padel, ultimately seeing the two leading professional padel tours unified as one single global Premier Padel tour. As the fastest-growing sport globally, QSI is proud to be at the heart of driving the development of padel professionally all around the world, always placing the players at the centre of our mission to grow the sport everywhere.’
For more information visit padelfip.com
For where to play padel in Qatar, see Sports Activities in the Events and Activities section.
Author: Sarah Palmer
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