La International Federation of Padel (FIP) announced the creation of FIP Beyonda new international circuit designed for amateur playersvalidated at its last General Assembly in Acapulco. The stated objective is to offer a globally competitive structure, open to different age profiles, with an international ranking and end-of-season events.

On paper, the initiative is intriguing. In practice, several questions arise regarding its concrete implementation and its connection with existing ecosystems.

A structured, but still theoretical, framework

The project is based on three levels of tournaments (B1, B2 and B3), with or without prize money depending on the status of the event, and age categories ranging from 18–39 years until + 60 yearsFor the senior categories (+40 to +60), the B1 and B2 tournaments will include dedicated prize money, as well as a ranking giving access to international final competitions.

  • Amateur 18–39 years old (without prize money)
  • + 40 years
  • + 45 years
  • + 50 years
  • + 55 years
  • + 60 years

Three tournament levels:

  • B1 Total prize money between €6 and €000
  • B2 Total prize money between €3 and €600
  • B3 tournaments with a strictly competitive focus, no prize money

On this point, the logic is relatively clear:
Senior padel now benefits from a form of structured international circuit, complementing a landscape already marked by the existence of European Championships and Senior World Championships for the most competitive profiles.

Questions for fans under 39 years old

However, the positioning of the circuit for the amateurs aged 18 to 39Without prize money, it appears less certain at the moment.
The promise of a world ranking and qualification for international events exists, but it remains difficult to measure the real attractiveness of this format for this segment of players, already largely covered by national, regional or private circuits depending on the country.

The central question remains:
What concrete added value will FIP Beyond bring to these players, compared to the competitions already offered locally?

Integration varies from country to country

Another key point concerns theintegration of FIP Beyond into national regulationsMany federations already offer well-established amateur and veteran events, sometimes very structured, with their own rankings and championships.

In this context, the implementation of FIP Beyond could prove to be uneven across territories.
The project is likely to find a more receptive audience in countries where national federations are still relatively inactive or poorly structured in amateur padel. Conversely, in countries like the Francewhere the supply of amateur and senior competitions is already dense, the place of this new circuit remains to be defined.

2026, a test year

More than just an immediate, large-scale launch, FIP Beyond seems to be entering an observation phaseThe year 2026 will be crucial in evaluating:

  • the ability of clubs and federations to adopt the format
  • the real interest of the players, especially those under 39 years old
  • the consistency of the rankings and the announced final competitions

While the idea of ​​a structured global amateur circuit is appealing in principle, its grounding in the reality on the ground remains to be seen.

The gradual rollout of FIP Beyond will therefore need to be followed closely, country by country, in order to assess whether it manages to find its place in an already very heterogeneous landscape of amateur padel worldwide.

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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