The wait is over. After a tantalising off-season packed with partner changes, rule revolutions, and one almighty Hexagon Cup showdown, the 2026 Premier Padel season is officially underway. The Riyadh Season P1 — running from 9 to 14 February 2026 at the Padel Rush Arena in BLVD City — marks the first stop on a global journey that will culminate at the Finals in Barcelona later this year.
And what a season it promises to be. A brand-new scoring system, blockbuster pair reshuffles on the women’s tour, Andy Murray’s team winning the Hexagon Cup, and — perhaps most exciting of all for us in the UK — a confirmed Premier Padel P1 event in London this August. Buckle up, padel fans. 2026 is going to be something special.
Riyadh P1: The Season Opener That Sets the Tone
For the third consecutive year, Riyadh opens the Premier Padel season, and it’s clear why. Saudi Arabia’s commitment to padel has been extraordinary, and the Padel Rush Arena provides a spectacular backdrop for the world’s best players to begin their campaigns.
The men’s draw features 48 pairs, with the top 16 seeded pairs entering directly in the second round. The women’s draw comprises 28 pairs. Qualifying rounds wrapped up over the weekend (7-8 February), and the main draw action begins today.
Men’s Draw: Coello & Tapia — The Pair to Beat
No surprises at the top of the men’s draw. Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia — the pair who won a staggering 13 titles in 2025, including last year’s Riyadh P1 — are the number one seeds and heavy favourites to start 2026 as they ended 2025: on top of the world.
Tapia, who wields the NOX AT10 Genius 12K Alum XTREM 2026, continues to be the most complete player in the game. His partnership with the explosive Coello is the benchmark every other pair is chasing.
Their first potential opponents? Juan Cruz Belluati and Facundo Dominguez, or a qualifier — a gentle opening before a likely quarter-final clash with the sixth seeds, Momo González and Martín Di Nenno.
The number two seeds are Fede Chingotto and Alejandro Galán, who claimed eight titles last year including the FIP World Cup Pairs. They’ll face a potential quarter-final against Garrido and Bergamini (8th seeds) in the top half of the draw.
One of the most intriguing stories is the return of Franco Stupaczuk and Mike Yanguas as the third seeds. After an injury-disrupted 2025, Stupaczuk’s comeback alongside the reliable Yanguas could shake up the tour. They face a potential quarter-final against Paquito Navarro and Fran Guerrero (5th seeds).
Speaking of Navarro — the charismatic Spaniard, famous for his Bullpadel Hack 04 2026, begins a new chapter with Guerrero. Meanwhile, Juan Lebrón, armed with his signature Babolat Viper 3.0, pairs up with Leo Augsburger as the fourth seeds. Lebrón won Riyadh back in 2024 alongside Galán, so he’ll have fond memories of this venue.
Also worth watching: Javi Leal and Jon Sanz (7th seeds), holding the fort while the injured Coki Nieto and Pablo Cardona work their way back to fitness.
Women’s Draw: The Big Split — Paula vs. Ari
If the men’s draw is about continuity at the top, the women’s draw is all about revolution. The biggest storyline heading into 2026? Former partners Paula Josemaría and Ariana Sánchez will face each other as opponents for the first time.
The pair who won both previous Riyadh P1 editions together have gone their separate ways. Josemaría now partners with Bea González as the second seeds, while Sánchez teams up with Andrea Ustero as the third seeds. The draw sets up a mouth-watering potential semi-final between the two former partners in the bottom half — a storyline that wouldn’t look out of place in a Netflix documentary.
At the top of the women’s draw sit Delfina Brea and Gemma Triay as the clear number one seeds, having been the dominant force in women’s padel. The fourth seeds are Claudia Fernández and Sofia Araújo.
Among the new pairings to watch, keep a close eye on Marta Ortega and Martina Calvo. Calvo, the young Spaniard, is widely tipped for a breakout 2026 season — and Ortega’s experience could be the perfect platform for her talent to flourish.
The Star Point: Padel’s Biggest Rule Change in Years
Riyadh 2026 isn’t just the first tournament of the season — it’s the first event played under the new Star Point scoring system, arguably the most significant rule change in professional padel history.
Here’s how it works:
- First Advantage: Normal rules — if the team with advantage loses, the score returns to 40-40 (deuce).
- Second Advantage: Same again — if lost, we go back to deuce, but the Star Point is now activated.
- Star Point (Third Advantage): A single, decisive point. Winner takes the game. No going back to deuce.
The FIP approved this change unanimously, with the aim of improving player welfare by limiting marathon advantage situations, while also enhancing fan engagement and broadcast appeal. Analysis from Padel Intelligence suggests the reduction is moderate — around three fewer points per match — but in tight encounters, the Star Point could be the difference between victory and defeat.
For those of us who’ve watched seemingly endless deuce battles, the Star Point adds a new layer of drama. Imagine a crucial semi-final, third set, 5-5 on serve, and the Star Point kicks in. The pressure will be immense. It’ll be fascinating to see how the top players adapt their tactics in Riyadh this week.
If you want to see how the world’s best handle high-pressure situations on court, understanding court positioning is essential — something the Star Point will only amplify.
Hexagon Cup Glory: Andy Murray’s Team Triumphs in Madrid
Before Riyadh gets underway, let’s rewind just over a week to one of the most entertaining events in the padel calendar: the Generali Hexagon Cup 2026 at Madrid’s iconic Caja Mágica.
And what a result for British padel fans. ADvantage Padel Team — co-owned by Andy Murray and Anthony Joshua — won the title for the second time in three years, beating Sergio Agüero’s Krü Padel 2-0 in the final.
Murray, 38 and now retired from professional tennis, has thrown himself into the padel world with characteristic intensity. Although he couldn’t attend the final in person, he sent a good luck message to his players. ADvantage’s roster featured Martín Di Nenno, Juan Tello, Delfina Brea, and Martina Calvo — a squad that dominated throughout the week.
The team format — featuring men’s, women’s, and Next Gen categories — has attracted serious star power. Robert Lewandowski’s RL9 Padel Team finished third (the Barcelona striker apparently messages his team manager for score updates at 2am!), while F1 driver Pierre Gasly and actress Eva Longoria also have teams in the competition.
Aaron Yentob, co-owner alongside Murray and Joshua, summed up the mood: “You smile, you fight, you give us these beautiful memories every year.”
The Hexagon Cup’s success has been so significant that organisers are now planning to expand it into a multi-event global series — the Hexagon World Series — with events confirmed for September, October, and December 2026. This is padel’s answer to team-format competitions in other sports, and it’s growing fast.
2026 Calendar Shake-Up: Key Changes Confirmed
The FIP, Premier Padel, and Hexagon have just confirmed several important calendar updates for 2026 that fans should note:
- Asunción P2 moved from 18-24 May to 4-10 May 2026, now sitting the week before the Buenos Aires P1 for better player continuity.
- Europe P2 (originally 14-20 September) has been converted into an official Hexagon World Series event.
- FIP Platinum Albania added to the CUPRA FIP Tour for the week of 25-31 May, just before the BNL Italy Major.
- P2 main draw format change (men’s): Now 28 pairs (22 Direct Acceptances + 4 Qualifiers + 2 Wild Cards), designed to create a more competitive structure.
These adjustments reflect the growing complexity of the padel calendar and the sport’s push towards its Olympic ambitions. As we covered in our Premier Padel 2026 Season Preview, this year’s tour spans more countries and offers more prize money than ever before.
London P1 in August: The UK’s Biggest Padel Moment
For UK padel fans, every bit of news from Riyadh, Madrid, and beyond is building towards one historic date: 3-9 August 2026.
That’s when the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour comes to London for the very first time, staged as a P1 tournament — the second-highest tier on the circuit, just below the Majors. Coello, Tapia, Galán, Lebrón, Brea, Triay, Josemaría — they’ll all be playing on British soil for the first time in an official Premier Padel event.
Tom Murray, the LTA’s Head of Padel, called it the centrepiece of “our most ambitious and comprehensive performance calendar to date.” And he’s right. The 2026 LTA Padel Performance Calendar features 35 weeks of competition, including five FIP Tour events, seven LTA Padel British Tour Grade 1 events, and 21 Grade 2 events across England, Scotland, and Wales for the first time.
The UK padel scene is booming — as we explored in The Padel Revolution: Inside the UK’s 2026 Boom, there are now over 1,000 courts in Britain, with new facilities opening regularly. The London P1 will be a statement moment — proof that the UK isn’t just catching up with Spain and Argentina in padel; it’s becoming a serious destination for the sport.
UK Padel: The Domestic Scene Heats Up
While the pros battle it out in Riyadh, the UK domestic padel scene is in full swing. UK PADEL has unveiled its most extensive annual competition programme ever, with almost 70 official events planned for 2026.
Key upcoming events include:
- UK PADEL National Universities Championship at Rocket Bristol (7-8 February — just gone!)
- UK PADEL Masters Finals at Southampton’s Padel Hub (7-8 March)
- Four Nations Championships in Leeds (21-22 March) — England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland going head-to-head
- National Schools Championships — Under 13s at Core Padel Birmingham (1 February, completed), Under 15s at Rocket Padel Ilford (1 March)
Mark Ayers, UK PADEL Director of Events, described the programme as designed to “lift the whole nation’s game,” with events running from January to New Year’s Eve. It’s a massive step forward for grassroots padel in Britain.
The LTA Padel British Tour is also expanding, with the National Championships returning later in the year. For players looking to compete, acceptance is based on LTA Padel Rankings — and with more events than ever, there are real pathways from club level to the professional game.
If you’re looking to improve your game ahead of entering a tournament, mastering key shots like the bajada can give you a real edge on court.
What to Watch This Week
So what should you be keeping an eye on as the Riyadh P1 unfolds this week? Here are our top storylines:
- The Star Point in action: How will it affect match dynamics? Will we see more tactical serving on the second advantage? The first few rounds will be a fascinating laboratory for the new rule.
- Coello & Tapia’s dominance: Can anyone challenge the world number one pair? Chingotto and Galán are the most likely candidates, but the Stupaczuk/Yanguas comeback is a dark horse.
- Paula vs. Ari: If the draw goes to seed, the former partners could meet in the semi-finals. The emotion, the tension, the quality — it could be the match of the tournament.
- New partnerships settling in: Navarro/Guerrero, Lebrón/Augsburger, González/Josemaría — how quickly can new pairs find their rhythm?
- The Next Gen: Young talent like Martina Calvo could use Riyadh as a springboard for the season. Keep an eye on the early rounds for potential upsets.
How to Watch the Riyadh P1
The Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1 runs from 9-14 February 2026. Matches are streamed on the official Premier Padel channels, with coverage also available through various broadcast partners across Europe and beyond. Check your local listings and the official FIP event page for the full order of play and live scores.
The Season Ahead: A Year Like No Other
The 2026 season promises to be the most exciting in padel history. From the Star Point revolution to the London P1, from the Hexagon World Series expansion to new partnerships across the men’s and women’s tours — there’s never been a better time to follow professional padel.
We’ll be covering every twist and turn here at Padel Mad throughout the season. Whether you’re a seasoned padel obsessive or just discovering the sport, make sure you bookmark us for the latest tournament news, racket reviews, and gameplay tips.
Vamos! The 2026 Premier Padel season starts now. Let’s enjoy every point of it. 🎾
