Weekly News Roundup: Worldwide Rise Continues
Keep up with the latest stories!
From a landmark debut at the Mediterranean Games to packed events in Los Angeles and Sydney, padel continues to find new stages around the world. This week also brought record youth participation in Asia and fresh momentum for the US Open, showing just how quickly the sport’s footprint is expanding.
Here are five of the biggest stories from the week.
Padel Set for Historic Mediterranean Games Debut in Taranto
The International Padel Federation confirmed the field for padel’s first appearance at the Mediterranean Games, taking place August 22–28 in Taranto, Italy. 88 athletes from 18 countries will compete across men’s, women’s and mixed events, with former world No. 1s Lucía Sainz and Patty Llaguno among the headline names. This is another significant step toward padel becoming established within major international multisport competitions.
USA Padel Announces Record-Prize-Money 2026 US Open
On August 10, USA Padel announced that the 2026 US Open Padel Championships, presented by Fresca Hard, will take place October 2–4. The tournament returns for its third year with record-breaking prize money and will form part of National Padel Month, further strengthening one of the most important domestic events in the growing U.S. padel market.
Pro Padel League Makes Its Los Angeles Debut
The Pro Padel League brought professional padel to Los Angeles for the first time from August 13–16, staging its tournament at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. More than 40 world-class players were involved, giving PPL another major U.S. market as the league continues pushing padel toward a larger American audience.
Bali Breaks Asian Youth Padel Participation Record
Indonesia delivered another indicator of padel’s rapid Asian expansion. FIP Promises Bali attracted 138 pairs, the largest field ever recorded for a FIP youth tournament in Asia. The previous record was only established a month earlier in Jakarta with 113 pairs, meaning participation jumped significantly again in a matter of weeks.
Sydney Opera House Hosts Landmark Padel Invitational
Padel took over one of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks on August 15–16, with a specially constructed court at the Sydney Opera House. The Padel Invitational featured professional players alongside former tennis world No. 1 Pat Rafter and other Australian sports and entertainment personalities. Reserved seating sold out ahead of the event, while major brands including Gucci and Waldorf Astoria became involved around the weekend.
- Read more from Tennis Australia
Highlights
Check out these highlights from the Premier Padel London P1 Final! (WOMEN)
This week’s stories point to the same trend: padel is reaching more players, markets, and major stages around the world. With international competitions, new audiences, and headline events ahead, there’s plenty more to follow.
Stay tuned to Padel Mecca for next week’s biggest stories.