La  FIP  et  Premier Padel  presented with great pomp their reform for 2027, mentioning measures designed to improve player welfare and support the sustainable development of the circuit.

However, upon reading the advertisements, one impression prevails:  We are far from the upheaval that was predicted. .

While not questioning the value of certain developments, it's difficult to call it a "major reform." Most of the changes are more about adjustments than transformations and don't address the main criticisms voiced in recent months by players and observers of the circuit.

From 22 to 21 tournaments counted: a symbolic change

The key measure is to reduce  22 to 21  the number of tournaments taken into account for the world ranking.

Can this really be considered a significant step forward? In practice, this reduction of just one tournament is likely to have a very limited impact.

Above all, this decision primarily concerns the top-ranked players. For the vast majority of professionals, the goal remains to play as much as possible in order to accumulate points, find partners, attract sponsors, and simply earn a living.

What are the consequences for the organizers?

With  26 tests Premier Padel scheduled for 2026 This rule mechanically implies that the best players will skip several matches.

Those most directly affected could be certain  P2 , already sometimes overlooked by the headliners.

One question remains: will these free weeks actually be used to promote recovery? It's far from certain. It's likely that several players will take advantage of this time to participate in exhibitions or other often very lucrative international events.

In other words, this measure may not reduce their workload as much as expected.

A slight increase in points… without a revolution

The increase in points awarded during the early rounds of tournaments Premier Padel constitutes a positive development.

But again, the effect should remain limited. Gaining ten or twenty extra points is welcome, but won't fundamentally change players' strategies.

The real issue remains that of the balance between  Premier Padel  and the  FIP Tour On this point, the announcements remain cautious and do not really change the decisions that players have to make throughout the season.

Harmonised qualifications: a welcome simplification

Harmonizing the qualification tables between men and women is a step in the right direction and will make the system more transparent.

However, this was probably not the top priority. The differences in skill level between certain tournaments or the difficulties in balancing certain categories remain far more fundamental issues for the development of the circuit.

Premier Padel Preparing for 2027: fewer tournaments counted, a more structured FIP Tour, and more points to distribute

Restrictions on the FIP Tour: a largely symbolic measure

This is probably the point that raises the most questions.

From 2027 onwards, the best players will be progressively prevented from participating in certain categories of the FIP Tour:

  • Top 4 banned in  FIP Gold  ;
  • Men's Top 24 and Women's Top 20 excluded from  FIP Silver  ;
  • Men's Top 50 and Women's Top 40 excluded from  FIP Bronze .

On paper, this rule aims to give more room to emerging players.

In practice, its impact could be very limited. It's already exceptional to see members of the world's Top 24 competing in a FIP Silver tournament or a Top 50 player in a FIP Bronze tournament. This measure therefore formalizes a situation that already exists tacitly in the vast majority of cases.

The real debates remain open

Ultimately, these announcements look more like a series of adjustments than a complete overhaul of the system.

The most sensitive questions remain unanswered: the distribution of points between circuits, the economic viability of travel, the proliferation of tournaments, the attractiveness of P2, and the overall balance between Premier Padel and the FIP Tour.

These changes are not without merit. They bring some corrections here and there. But to present them as a revolution seems excessive.

The real test now will be whether they will have a concrete impact on the daily lives of the players... or whether they will remain primarily superficial changes.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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