Kuwait has been awarded hosting rights to the first edition of the FIP World Cup Pairs, a new padel event that will offer prize money of more than €1m (£829,000/$1.05m) across its men’s and women’s competitions.
The tournament will be held in collaboration with Premier Padel and will be sponsored by BNK Holding. It will take place from November 3-9.
The Arena Kuwait in Zahra will host the centre court, with additional playing facilities at the nearby Rafa Nadal Academy. The event will offer 2,000 FIP (International Padel Federation) ranking points to tournament winners and 1,200 to finalists.
Kuwait successfully hosted the Kuwait City Premier Padel P1 event last November. The country also staged a FIP Tour tournament in November 2023 and held the Asia-Africa qualifications for the 2024 World Padel Championships.
Eligibility for the new FIP World Cup Pairs event will be determined by players’ positions in the 2025 FIP rankings following the Milan P1 tournament from October 6-12. It will feature a qualification round and a main draw of 48 male and 40 female pairs, formed by players of the same or different nationalities.
FIP president Luigi Carraro said: “Kuwait is a special place. It has already written important chapters of our sport. If looking back is essential to moving forward and shaping the future, then choosing this venue for the inaugural FIP World Cup Pairs perfectly aligns with Kuwait’s passion and dedication for padel.
“A huge thank you to BNK Holding chairman Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Premier Padel, and the national federation. I am confident that our teamwork and collaboration will ensure the delivery of an extraordinary event.”
David Sugden, chief executive of Premier Padel, added: “Last year’s Premier Padel tournament was a spectacular event for players and fans that firmly placed Kuwait on the global stage.
“The overwhelmingly positive feedback from players – praising the world-class facilities and seamless organisation – played a pivotal role in securing its place as the venue for one of the sport’s most significant events in 2025 and reiterates our commitment to providing exceptional opportunities for players.”
Last week, Premier Padel teamed up with the FIP and the Hexagon Cup tournament to drive the continued growth of padel worldwide.
The strategic partnership is aimed at “super-charging” the growth of padel. Premier Padel and Hexagon Cup will work on a range of initiatives aimed at launching new tournament concepts, brands and ideas, including at potential motorsport and football events.
