World Padel Day: padel gets its own day and sets its sights on Brisbane 2032

20 October 2026 will go down as the day padel got its official celebration: the International Padel Federation (FIP) and Premier Padel have formally recognised the date as World Padel Day, formalising a day the global padel community had already embraced. The announcement, made from Lausanne, comes with the campaign through which the sport renews its Olympic ambition: joining the programme of the Brisbane 2032 Games.

The numbers FIP is putting on the table

The World Padel Report 2026, the study underpinning the bid, paints a sport in full worldwide expansion:

• An estimated 40 million amateur players across 191 countries and territories on all five continents.
• Women account for 47% of participants — a gender balance padel can showcase against many Olympic sports.
• More than 91,000 courts worldwide, the foundation the player base keeps growing on.
• The CUPRA FIP Tour visits 59 countries, the FIP Promises junior circuit reaches 36, and Premier Padel is broadcast in 244 territories.
• The economic impact study commissioned by FIP (conducted by OpenEconomics) estimates padel will contribute €8.6 billion to global GDP in 2026 and support around 236,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

"Padel can bring Brisbane 2032 a global community, exciting competition for women and men, and a sport that people can discover and continue playing long after the Games," said Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation. The campaign closes with a line that sums up the ambition: "Padel is fit for the future. Padel is ready for Brisbane 2032."

The nod to Australia: padel at the Sydney Opera House

The bid is not just paperwork. On 15–16 August, the Padel Invitational presented by UBS installed a temporary court on the Sydney Opera House's Northern Broadwalk, with the harbour as a backdrop. Delivered by Padel Australia together with Premier Padel and FIP, the event brought together international padel stars, local club players and Australian tennis great Pat Rafter. A full-scale demonstration — in the country that will host the Games — that padel's format works on any stage.

One important nuance: the day is official, the Olympic spot is not. Which sports join Brisbane 2032 is decided by the IOC on the organisers' proposal, and nothing has been announced. Padel has already featured at the European Games, and its presence at the South American, Mediterranean and Asian Games strengthens the file — but inclusion remains an ambition, not a fact.

From 40 million players to your first paddle

If there are 40 million players, it's because every week someone picks up a paddle for the first time. This is where PalaComparer can help, because the most common rookie mistake is buying your idol's racket — an 18K diamond — when what you need is one that forgives.

• The cheapest gateway in the catalog: the Nox AT10 Genius Ultra Light 2026 by Agustín Tapiafrom 59,99 € inherits the DNA of Agustín Tapia's range (the AT10 Genius 18K used by the world No. 1) in an ultralight, accessible version.
• Round, comfortable, big brand: the Adidas RX Series 2026from 93,99 € is pure RX philosophy — control and handling — to start without punishing your arm.
• Head's entry-level bet: the Head Bolt 2026from 79,95 € proves you don't need to spend €300 to enjoy the court.

And if you already have game and what you want is a champion's paddle: the Adidas Arrow HIT Light 2026from 175,99 € of Ari Sánchez or the Adidas Metalbone Carbon 2026from 201,95 € show the premium range has control-first options too. For circuit collectors, the Bullpadel Vertex 05 GEO Premier Pádel 2026from 176,99 € is the special edition Bullpadel launched dedicated to the Premier Padel Tour.

The 47% driving the sport

One of the report's headline arguments is that 47% of participants are women, something professional padel has reflected for years: the women's circuit shares billing and centre court with the men's at every Premier Padel. Our catalog shows it too, with signature paddles from Ari Sánchez, Bea González (Bullpadel Pearl W 26from 149,99 €) or Claudia Fernández (Bullpadel Wonderfrom 210,95 €), which sell and draw searches just as strongly as their tour colleagues'.

What comes next

The calendar doesn't stop: the Kuwait Major (26–31 October) is the circuit's next big event, the only Major of the season in the Middle East after its upgrade from P1 to Major. And the Olympic machinery keeps turning: FIP will keep leaning on its 115 national federations and its presence at continental Games to press its case for the IOC's decision on Brisbane 2032.

In the meantime, padel now has what the big sports have: a day of its own on the calendar.