The Circuit

The lead note

Great Britain's women are going to Doha. In Madrid on Saturday morning they beat Poland 2-0 in a deciding tie of Europe's qualifier, and with it took one of the two women's places at the FIP World Cup, played in Doha from 2 to 7 November. Germany took the other, 2-1 against Denmark.

The British women came in as top seeds: 3-0 against Norway on Tuesday, 3-0 against Serbia on Thursday, a bye on Friday, then Poland. The International Padel Federation's report says: "Gran Bretaña completó las FIP World Cup Qualifiers Europe sin perder ningún enfrentamiento durante todo el torneo." The English after each Spanish quotation in this edition is ours: Great Britain went through the whole of the qualifier without losing a tie. Aimee Gibson and Catherine Rose, the first pair, won their match against Poland 6-0, 6-2, and on LTA Padel's scores they conceded three games in three matches all week. LTA Padel says the result seals the women's "first appearance at a World Championship since 2021". Libby Fletcher, the women's coach, in its report: "To qualify in the manner that they did for such a huge event is a major achievement for the team."

The men went out later the same day, 2-1 to Germany. All three matches went to three sets, and each was won by the pair that lost the first set 4-6 and took the second on a tie-break. Great Britain won the second match, and Germany the third, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. The Netherlands beat Belgium 2-0 for the other men's place.

At home

Last week we printed no final placings for Great Britain at the Senior World Cup in Buenos Aires, because the FIP had published none. LTA Padel gave them later on 21 September. The women finished 13th, beating Germany 3-2 in the play-off for that place after losing the first two matches. The men share 17th, the LTA says, because the final classification ties were not fully completed.

We had no result from the Scottish Open in Glasgow last week either. LTA Padel's report of 22 September gives the women's title to Rosie Pooley, of Great Britain, and Ainhoa Rico, of Spain, the second seeds, 6-0, 6-0, and the men's to Josep Aymerich Bellmunt and Rafael Vega, both of Spain, the seventh seeds, 6-3, 6-3.

Ireland's two teams in Madrid did not reach the knockout stage; neither is among the group winners the FIP listed on Thursday 24 September.

This week in the game

Spain named their teams for Doha in Madrid on Thursday 24 September. The women, who go to defend the world title, were chosen by the women's national coach, Carolina Navarro: Gemma Triay, Bea Gonzalez, Ariana Sanchez, Martita Ortega, Claudia Fernandez, Paula Josemaria, Andrea Ustero and Martina Calvo. The men, chosen by Juanjo Gutierrez, are Coki Nieto, Alejandro Galan, Arturo Coello, Aimar Goni, Mike Yanguas, Paquito Navarro, Jon Sanz and Juan Lebron.

Padel was a medal sport at the South American Games for the first time, the FIP says, and the finals were played in Rafaela, Argentina, on Friday 25 September. Argentina won the women's gold, 6-2, 6-3 against Chile, and Paraguay the men's, 6-4, 7-6 against Argentina, in front of about 4,100 people on the FIP's count.

The week ahead

The Premier Padel tour resumes with a P2 in Rotterdam, main draw from Tuesday 29 September to Sunday 4 October.

Padel makes its debut at the Asian Games, the FIP says, in Nagoya from Monday 28 September, with the medal matches on Saturday 3 October. It lists 23 women's pairs and 20 men's.

The LTA Padel National Championships are at Rocket Padel Bristol from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 October, with the open main draw from Friday.

From the club

Issue Three and Episode Three of The Sessions are live. Issue Four publishes on Monday 5 October.

See you at the club.

How this was compiled. The Madrid qualifier is from the International Padel Federation's Spanish finals release of 26 September, read in the Spanish original; its English twin was read and not quoted. The day of the deciding ties is from FIP's Day 4 report of 25 September, and the group winners and byes from its Day 3 report of 24 September. Great Britain's week, the games conceded and Libby Fletcher's words are from LTA Padel's results and updates and its report, both of 26 September. The Senior World Cup placings are from LTA Padel, 21 September 2026, and the Scottish Open from LTA Padel, 22 September 2026. Spain's teams are from the Real Federacion Espanola de Padel, 24 September 2026. The South American Games are from FIP's Spanish finals release of 26 September and, for the day of the finals, its Day 3 report of 25 September. Rotterdam is from FIP's event page, the Asian Games from FIP's Spanish release of 27 September, and the Nationals from LTA Padel's championships page. All pages read on 27 September 2026.