FIP Becomes WADA Signatory in Historic Step for Padel

A Two-Year Process Reaches Its Milestone

The International Padel Federation (FIP) became an official signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code on 16 July 2026, completing a two-year programme of alignment conducted with the International Testing Agency (ITA). The announcement, published directly by the FIP, places padel within the same anti-doping governance framework as the world's leading Olympic sports for the first time in the federation's history.

FIP President Luigi Carraro called the achievement "a historic milestone for our Federation and for the global Padel community." The signatory commitment is not symbolic: it formally binds the FIP to implement the World Anti-Doping Code and its International Standards across all sanctioned competitions, submitting to WADA's oversight, reporting requirements and sanctioning authority going forward. Failure to maintain those standards carries consequences under the Code itself, including potential suspension of events and athlete bans.

Scope: Every FIP Event Is Covered

The commitment covers the full spectrum of FIP competition: the FIP World Cup, the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour, the Cupra FIP Tour, and the Hexagon World Series. Any athlete competing under an FIP banner — from regional qualifiers to the final at a P1 — now operates within the same framework used in Olympic sports, including standard testing protocols, athlete whereabouts requirements, Athlete Biological Passport monitoring, and a consistent results management process coordinated through the ITA.

The two-year ITA collaboration that preceded formal signatory status gave FIP the time to build the administrative infrastructure required for compliance: trained testing personnel, a functioning Doping Control Officer network, clear procedures for atypical findings, and athlete education programmes. Becoming a signatory is the public checkpoint that confirms those systems are operational and independently verified.

What It Means for Olympic Ambitions

Padel's global growth makes the governance context increasingly significant. The sport now counts more than 58,000 courts worldwide and over 19.4 million active players. Spain alone accounts for approximately 6 million players across 17,300 courts, generating an estimated €2 billion annually. In August, padel will make its debut as a medal sport at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto — a milestone that requires exactly the kind of clean-sport governance that WADA signatory status provides.

The International Olympic Committee's framework for sports seeking Olympic inclusion requires, as a baseline, a WADA-compliant anti-doping programme. WADA signatory status does not automatically open the Olympic door, but its absence had been a structural barrier that placed padel at a disadvantage relative to established Olympic racket sports. With the barrier removed, FIP can build the remaining elements of the IOC recognition process without governance credibility being the first question on the table.

Immediate Impact on Tour Athletes

For players currently at the Andalucía Málaga P1 — with quarterfinals taking place Friday, 17 July — the day-to-day changes are modest in the short term, because ITA testing has been running during the two-year collaboration period. What shifts is the accountability structure: FIP must now publish annual reports to WADA, and any lapse in Code compliance triggers formal consequences. Athletes on the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour should expect expanded testing pools and tighter whereabouts obligations as the programme scales through 2026 and into the 2027 season.