A photo, a story: padel on the road to Milano Cortina 2026
In the flood of images from the Olympic relay, this one quickly circulated in the padel sphere: Luigi Carraro, President of the FIP, torch in hand in Milan. The gesture is by no means anecdotal. The torch relay is one of the most popular moments of an Olympiad: it tells the story of a territory, a transmission, a sporting memory. To see a padel executive take part in it is to make this sport – still young on the scale of major institutions – part of an immediately universal narrative.
Carraro framed the moment as a collective symbol rather than a personal honor. He spoke of a rare emotion and explained that, during those few steps, he felt the presence of “the whole padel world”. In his message, he cites a large community: practitioners, supporters, national federations, players, coaches, umpires… and puts forward the figure of over 35 million players worldwide.
The subtext is clear: padel no longer wants to be just “the sport that grows fast”, but a sport that carries cultural weight, capable of recognizing itself in the Olympic values: inclusion, passion, development, international openness.
What FIP seeks to achieve behind the symbol
For the International Federation, this sequence also serves as a reminder that Olympic ambitions are not won on a photo, but on proof. Being visible in the orbit of the Games is a showcase, not a shortcut. Padel must continue to consolidate its architecture: governance, distribution, training, refereeing and structured practice on every continent.
On the slopes, growth sometimes has a backhand: clubs are full, beginners are numerous, and profiles are very heterogeneous. But this is precisely where the “Olympic” rhetoric comes into its own. A credible sport is also recognized by its ability to welcome and supervise: learning the fundamentals, safety, rules and tactics. Progress is measured not only in terms of the number of courts, but also in terms of the quality of play, from the first serve to the game on the wall, to the bandeja and vibora that are the hallmarks of advanced padel.
In Milan, Carraro did not announce a formal step towards a future Olympic presence. But the image acts as a marker: the FIP wants to associate padel with a universal imagination, while repeating that the dream is built with an organized and committed community. To watch the official statement and context of the relay: FIP press release and official relay page (Olympics.com).
