The International Padel Federation has designated 20 October as World Padel Day, highlighting the sport’s international growth, gender balance and potential inclusion in the Olympic programme.
The International Padel Federation (FIP) and Premier Padel have officially recognised 20 October as World Padel Day, formalising a date already embraced by the sport’s international community. Announced on 20 October 2026, the recognition coincides with a renewed call from the FIP to promote padel’s inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
The federation’s case is based on padel’s global reach, participation among women and men, and the flexibility of its competition format. According to the FIP World Padel Report 2026, the sport has approximately 40 million amateur players across 191 countries and territories, with women accounting for 47% of participants. The report also records more than 91,000 courts worldwide.
An expanding international competition structure
The FIP highlights a competitive structure connecting youth development with the professional game. According to figures provided by the federation, FIP Promises organises youth competitions in 36 countries, while the CUPRA FIP Tour is held in 59 countries.
At the highest level, Qatar Airways Premier Padel brings together the world’s leading players and has audiovisual distribution across 244 territories. The FIP sees this international structure as a pathway for emerging talent and a contributor to the sport’s growing global presence.
The federation also points to characteristics it believes could make padel suitable for the Olympic programme: dynamic rallies, accessible rules for new audiences, men’s and women’s competitions, and a format that allows modular courts to be installed in different venues.
“Padel can bring to Brisbane 2032 a global community, an exciting competition for women and men, and a sport that people can discover and continue playing long after the Games,” said FIP President Luigi Carraro, according to the federation’s announcement.
Australia showcases padel’s potential
As an example of the sport’s potential to grow in Australia, the FIP highlighted the Padel Invitational presented by UBS, held on 15 and 16 August at the Sydney Opera House. Organised by Padel Australia in collaboration with Premier Padel and the FIP, the event featured a temporary court on the Northern Broadwalk overlooking Sydney Harbour. It brought together international padel stars, former Australian tennis player Pat Rafter and players from local clubs.
The event introduced padel to Australian audiences at one of the country’s most iconic landmarks. According to the federation, it also demonstrated how temporary courts can transform existing spaces into distinctive sporting venues. This flexibility is one of the arguments the FIP considers relevant to a potential place in Brisbane 2032, as it could enable competitions to be staged without necessarily requiring additional permanent infrastructure.
Economic impact and participation in multisport events
The FIP World Padel Report 2026 also includes an economic impact study prepared by OpenEconomics using federation data. According to its estimates, padel will contribute €8.6 billion to global GDP in 2026 and support approximately 236,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
The FIP believes Olympic inclusion could help expand the sport’s reach, encourage participation and create further opportunities for clubs, businesses and grassroots initiatives.
At an institutional level, the federation highlights its relationships with international Olympic and sporting organisations, as well as padel’s participation in multisport events. Recent examples include the 2023 European Games and the 2026 South American, Mediterranean and Asian Games.
With a network of 115 national federations, the FIP argues that padel’s international expansion, presence in multisport competitions and ability to engage diverse audiences strengthen the case for its inclusion in Brisbane 2032.
The official recognition of World Padel Day therefore forms part of the federation’s wider international promotion strategy, aimed at increasing the sport’s visibility and advancing its Olympic ambitions.
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