Professional padel continues to be shaken by numerous controversies surrounding the management of the professional circuit and the FIP Tour. Players of the  Top 100  chose to boycott the circuit  Premier Padel  in contestation of the new rules imposed by  Premier Padel  and the  International Federation of Padel (FIP) But this time, players could well take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if points are awarded at the end of Cancun P2.

Dialogues, but no concrete agreement between players and organization

Regulations deemed unacceptable by some players, such as the lengthening of qualifying rounds to access competitions  Premier Padel  (going from 2 to 3 rounds in 2025) or even the reduction in the size of the tables, have caused a  protest movement These changes, perceived as unfavorable, have led to a notable absence of key players in recent tournaments, particularly in  Gijón  and now to  Cancún This situation benefited players ranked above the  Top 100 worldwide , allowing them to earn points and climb the rankings  FIP .

Faced with this revolt,  Premier Padel  announced legal actions against the  Professional Padel Association (PPA)  and the players involved, citing contractual violations. However, adjustments were made following the meeting organized by the  PPA , including the maintenance of women's table formats and an increase in prize money. For men, the 2024 table format will be reinstated for competitions  P1  et  P2  from the tournament of  Santiago P1 .

Player threat

At the same time, there is currently controversy surrounding the tournament of  Cancún , where only world number 3 players are among the players  Top 40 worldwide The players have requested the cancellation of the Cancun tournament, considering that they violated FIP rules. But the circuit has twice extended the registration period for the  P2  in Mexico in contradiction with the regulation of the  FIP .  If the points are awarded on Monday at the end of the Cancun P2, some players are considering taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. 

Le  Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS)  is the competent institution for resolving international sports disputes. The CAS intervenes in disputes relating to the rules of sport, disciplinary sanctions and decisions taken by sports federations or committees.

This crisis illustrates the tensions between players and padel's governing bodies, raising questions about the governance and fairness of the new rules for players, which benefit no one and cause harm to the organization, players, and fans.

In the meantime, the return of the best players in the world is planned for the next  P1 Miami , which will take place from  17 to 23 March .

Nicolas Fillaudeau

A big sports enthusiast and former tennis player, I discovered padel a few years ago without really focusing on it. Then I became addicted to this sport by practicing it and watching the premier padel matches. Looking forward to sharing the 2025 news with you!