Le  FIP ranking  constitutes the  compass of professional padel However, one question comes up regularly, both among players and enthusiasts:  How are points defended throughout the season?  On the eve of the 2026 season, an analysis of a mechanism that is as simple in principle as it is strategic in its consequences.

 A mobile system over 52 weeks 

The FIP ranking is based on a  52-week rolling cycle In practical terms, each result obtained by a player remains valid for one year, to the day.

The principle is clear:
a player must  equal or improve  the performance achieved at the same time last season if he wishes to retain his points total.

When the annual cycle comes to an end:

  • The points acquired a year earlier are  automatically deleted 
  • They are replaced by the result obtained  the same week  of the current year
  • In the absence of participation or equivalent performance, the player  loses points 

The ranking is thus updated  every Monday creating a permanent dynamic.

There's already movement in the first FIP ​​chart of the year

 When and why do the points disappear? 

The loss of points does not strictly depend on the exact dates of the tournament, but on compliance with the  52-week cycle .

A telling example:

In 2025, the tournament of  Gijón  It was held between late February and early March. In 2026, it is scheduled for early March. When the rankings are updated on the corresponding Monday, the points earned in Gijón in 2025 will be removed.  even though the 2026 edition has not yet started .

The operation is therefore as follows:

  1. The points are expiring
  2. They are removed from the rankings
  3. The players then have the week to...  recover or improve them 
FIP ranking: how does the defense of points actually work?

 The impact varies depending on the player profiles. 

Certain situations can significantly alter the effects of this system.

At the start of the 2025 season, the circuit had been marked by a  notable boycott  Many Top 50 players participated in certain tournaments. As a result, several pairs accumulated a significant number of points in an unusual context.

Players like  Tolito Aguirre  et  Gonza Alfonso  had notably taken advantage of these opportunities by reaching several finals and winning major titles on the FIP circuit.

In 2026, these points will automatically become  points to defend In the event of inferior performance, the consequence will be immediate: a  Significant drop in ranking .

Tolito Aguirre and Gonza Alfonso reach the finals: after Paredes and Gijón, heading to Mexico

 The special case of Major tournaments and Finals 

Tournaments  Major  and  Finals  obey a slightly different logic.

Unlike other competitions, points do not strictly disappear after 52 weeks, but are defended.  during the new edition of the tournament .

For the 2026 season, this means:

  • The points of  Qatar Major 2025  will be defended at its new edition in 2026
  • The same logic applies to the  Italy, Paris and Mexico City 
  • Same for the  Barcelona Finals 

In other words, these points remain active until the tournament in question returns to the calendar.

 What happens in case of overlap? 

A more complex scenario can theoretically arise when a Major tournament coincides with another event held the previous year.

In that case :

  • The Major's points are being deducted as they expire.
  • The points from the tournament played on the same dates the previous year are also
  • But these rights can only be defended during the  next edition of the tournament in question 

Even if this configuration does not occur in 2026, it illustrates the potential complexity of the system.

 A highly strategic dimension 

Beyond the rules, defending points becomes a  major strategic issue .

The result obtained the previous year directly determines the potential for improvement.

  • A player who wins a tournament has a  maximum pressure  He must repeat the feat to maintain his total
  • A player eliminated prematurely benefits from  window of opportunity  wider

That's why the teams analyze the schedule precisely, identifying:

  •  risk weeks  (many points to defend)
  •  opportunity weeks  (potential net gain)
FIP rankings: positive news for Les Bleus, Dylan Guichard is the new French number 1

 To remember 

The FIP ranking system is based on a few key principles:

  • Un  52-week rolling cycle 
  • A  automatic expiration of points 
  • A  Weekly update every Monday 
  • A specific defense for the  Majors and Finals 

This system imposes an unavoidable reality of professional padel: the  regularity .

A single great result is no longer enough. Sustained performance is required, season after season. In this context, defending points becomes almost as crucial as earning them — a constant balance that shapes the world hierarchy.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!

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