The sport of padel has received a significant boost in its campaign for Olympic inclusion, following a major development in its professional circuit. The International Padel Federation (FIP) has formally integrated the celebrity-backed Hexagon World Series team competition into its official calendar, a move seen as a crucial step towards impressing the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Star Power and Strategic Backing
This integration brings a previously independent, celebrity-driven format under the formal governance of the sport's global body. The move is further strengthened by the involvement of 54, the sports agency behind the disruptive LIV Golf tour. The Hexagon Cup has attracted high-profile team owners including tennis legends Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal, football stars Sergio Agüero and Robert Lewandowski, and actress Eva Longoria.
FIP President Luigi Carraro hailed the decision as "a historic day," telling Daily Mail Sport that this new competition format is vital for achieving "the dream of all padel players... to become Olympic players." He revealed that IOC members had specifically noted the Hexagon Cup, suggesting its inclusion within the official ecosystem would aid the sport's Olympic ambitions.
The Equality Argument for Olympic Inclusion
A key selling point for the IOC is the mixed-gender format of the team competition. "For the IOC, having men and women compete together is very important," Carraro emphasised. "The Hexagon Cup, by having a team made up of men and women, is a demonstration of how much padel is an equal sport between men and women." This format, featuring six teams with three playing pairs each (top male, female, and next-generation players), showcases the sport's inherent inclusivity.
The new team circuit will complement the existing Premier Padel professional doubles tour, together forming a global elite pathway under FIP governance. This structured, two-pronged approach presents a more complete picture of the sport to Olympic decision-makers.
Capitalising on Explosive Growth
The timing is strategic. Padel is experiencing a global boom, with participation in the UK serving as a prime example. The number of courts has skyrocketed by 1,900% in six years, from just 50 in 2019 to nearly 1,000 nationwide today. The challenge now is converting this massive recreational interest into a dedicated audience for elite professional competition.
Gary Davidson, COO of group 54, outlined a cautious but ambitious growth plan to Daily Mail Sport, stating they haven't "put a ceiling on how big this can get." While future seasons could feature 12-16 teams and 12-14 events, the focus for next year is on building genuine demand around three or four additional events. Previous Hexagon Cup events have been broadcast on ITVX and ITV4, attracting over 30,000 live spectators and two million YouTube views earlier this year.
"Currently there are 35 million people who play this sport," Davidson noted, highlighting the vast potential audience. "If we can give them a different product to engage with, we believe we could get a lot more people watching." With this formalised team circuit adding a new, dynamic layer to the sport, padel's governing body is making its strongest case yet for a spot on the Olympic programme, potentially as soon as the Brisbane 2032 Games.
