What happens at a FIP Promises tournament?

British padel has a junior international pathway. You probably haven’t heard much about it. That’s about to change – at least if you’re within reach of east London in April.

The FIP Promises Stratford 2026 runs from 9–12 April at Stratford Padel Club. It’s one of three FIP Promises events taking place in the UK this year, and the first of the spring cluster. For a sport that’s still working out what “grassroots” looks like, hosting international junior competition in London is worth paying attention to.

What is FIP Promises?

FIP Promises is the junior international padel circuit run by the Federación Internacional de Pádel – the global governing body of the sport. The circuit is for players under 18, divided into four age categories: U12, U14, U16, and U18. Each category runs as a pairs draw, with players competing for international FIP ranking points.

FIP Promises is the under-18 international padel circuit, covering U12, U14, U16, and U18 pairs competing for global FIP ranking points across tournaments worldwide.

The name “Promises” reflects the circuit’s purpose: this is where the next generation of professional padel players starts their international journey. Some of the players you’ll see on Premier Padel courts in five or ten years will have cut their teeth on Promises events.

How the pathway works

Padel’s international competitive ladder works roughly like this, from bottom to top: FIP Promises → FIP Rise → FIP Star → Premier Padel.

Promises is the entry point. It’s international in the truest sense – events happen across Europe, South America, and now increasingly in the UK – but the competition level is high. These aren’t friendly club tournaments. Players are ranked, registered through the PadelUNO platform, and competing for points that follow them through their careers.

From 2026, the circuit has been restructured with a new Star Point scoring system and tighter regulations around coaching and scheduling. U18 and U16 players can receive on-court coaching during matches; younger categories must take guidance from the stands. That detail alone tells you something about how seriously the FIP takes player development at every age.

The season culminates in Continental Finals, where the top 16 players per age group – based on their nine best results from circuit events – compete for the continental title.

Why three UK events in 2026 is significant

Until recently, FIP Promises events in Britain were rare. This year, three have been confirmed: Stratford (9–12 April), Chiswick at Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre (16–19 April), and Cardiff at Smash Padel (4–7 June).

Three events in a single season, across England and Wales, is a statement. It suggests the FIP sees British padel as a serious development market – not just a venue for occasional international appearances, but a consistent part of the junior circuit’s calendar.

The LTA backs this up. Junior participation is rising fast. Their 2026 competition calendar includes 16 weeks of FIP and British Tour Grade 1 and Grade 2 events for junior players. FIP Promises is the international tier sitting above that domestic structure. British juniors now have a visible pathway from their local club through British Tour grades to FIP ranking points – and, for the most talented, onward to the professional circuit.

That pathway didn’t meaningfully exist five years ago.

What happens at Stratford

Stratford Padel Club has been here before. The club on High Street in east London – open since December 2018, one of Britain’s most established padel venues – has hosted FIP events at multiple levels. Planning for tournaments of this scale begins almost a year in advance, with applications to the FIP, coordination with international tournament specialists, accommodation arrangements for visiting players, and the logistical complexity of running eight simultaneous age-category draws across five match courts plus two practice courts.

The main draw for each category holds 32 players: 26 direct acceptances, four qualifiers, and two wildcards. Qualification rounds run on 9 April where needed. The main draw follows through 10–11 April, with all finals scheduled for the morning of 12 April.

The competition draws junior players from across Europe and beyond. FIP Promises Continental Tour events are required to reserve spots for players from other continents – so the Stratford draw will include pairs from outside the UK and even outside Europe. For British juniors entering, it’s their first experience of proper international competition.

Tournament Director for the event is Sam Mole, who also leads business development at the club and has been instrumental in bringing FIP events to Stratford.

Can you go and watch?

Stratford Padel Club is an experienced tournament host. The venue has spectator space, and the club has run FIP events with TV production and media coverage before. Watching FIP Promises finals – particularly the U18 draw – is a compelling way to see where British junior padel is heading.

No specific spectator ticketing has been announced. Check stratfordpadelclub.org and the club’s social channels in the week before the event. The finals on 12 April (10am–2pm) are the most logical day to attend if you want to see the strongest matches in a compressed window.

The venue is straightforward to reach: Stratford Padel Club is at 221 High Street, London E15 2AE, a short walk from Stratford station (Central line, Elizabeth line, Overground, DLR).

Why it matters beyond the scoreline

Most people who play padel in Britain will never enter an FIP Promises event. But the existence of this circuit – and its growing presence in the UK – matters for anyone who cares about the sport’s long-term health here.

Competitive depth drives everything else. Coaching improves when coaches have high-level junior players to develop. Venues invest more seriously when international competition validates the market. Media and sponsors follow competitive structures. And the players on the court at Stratford in April are the future of British professional padel – the ones who might, in a decade, represent Britain at the highest level of the sport.

Three FIP Promises events in the UK in one year. That’s a meaningful signal about where this sport is going.

The first one is at Stratford on 9 April. It’s worth knowing about. If you want to watch the professional game at senior level too, Premier Padel is coming to London in August – the first P1 event ever held in Britain. And if you’re new to the sport yourself, what is padel is the starting point for understanding what you’re watching.