- Riyadh brings world padel back into competition mode
- Key dates: qualifying on February 7–8
- Official formats: a larger men’s draw, a women’s draw with 28 pairs
- Player list: official status (entry list) and caution regarding screenshots
- 2025 Recap: a disrupted edition, a clear message
- Things to watch in 2026: three key areas
- Key takeaways
- Sources and useful links
Riyadh brings world padel back into competition mode
The Riyadh Season P1 has become a benchmark: marking the start of a season where everyone is looking for their bearings, sometimes under pressure. From February 7 to 14, 2026 (qualifying then main draw), the elite and new pairings meet in Riyadh for a tournament that already serves as a barometer. At this stage, the goal is not just the trophy: it’s about knowing who arrives ready, who still needs to fine-tune details, and who can take advantage of a draw to gain momentum.
The official information (dates, draw sizes, direct entry/qualifying/wild cards, venue and play order) is available here: RIYADH SEASON P1 2026 – FIP.
Key dates: qualifying on February 7–8
The tournament spans eight days (qualifying included), with a quick start:
- Qualifying (men and women): February 7–8, 2026
- Main draw: February 9–14, 2026
This breakdown has a simple consequence: pairs coming from qualifying can arrive with tempo… and become real traps early in the draw.
Official formats: a larger men’s draw, a women’s draw with 28 pairs
The draw structure is official. The detail is important, as it determines the volume of matches and the spots allocated to qualifiers and wild cards.
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Qualifying | Men/Women: February 7–8, 2026 (start of competition). |
| Men’s Draw | 48 pairs: 37 direct entries + 8 qualifiers + 3 wild cards. |
| Men’s Qualifying | 32 pairs: 30 direct entries + 2 wild cards. |
| Women’s Draw | 28 pairs: 23 direct entries + 4 qualifiers + 1 wild card. |
| Women’s Qualifying | 16 pairs: 15 direct entries + 1 wild card. |
Why this configuration can impact the scenario
A men’s draw with 48 pairs mechanically means more density and more diverse profiles to manage early in the week. For the seeds, the goal is clear: avoid a sluggish start against teams already ‘warmed up’ from qualifying. On the women’s side, a draw with 28 maintains a compact structure, where every round immediately counts.
Player list: official status (entry list) and caution regarding screenshots
To avoid errors (partial screenshots, changing lists, unknown wild cards), the most reliable approach is to rely on the official entry list and its update date.
Men’s Entry list (official PDF): Entry list Men – Riyadh Season P1.
Top 10 (men) – excerpt from the first pairs on the entry list
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Men #1 | Arturo Coello / Agustín Tapia — 39,600 pts |
| Men #2 | Federico Chingotto / Alejandro Galán — 34,640 pts |
| Men #3 | Miguel Yanguas / Franco Stupaczuk — 14,227 pts |
| Men #4 | Leandro Augsburger / Juan Lebrón — 13,000 pts |
| Men #5 | Jorge Nieto Ruiz / Jon Sanz — 11,447 pts |
| Men #6 | Francisco Navarro / Francisco Guerrero — 10,525 pts |
| Men #7 | Jerónimo González / Martín Di Nenno — 9,460 pts |
| Men #8 | Javier Garrido / Lucas Bergamini — 7,078 pts |
| Men #9 | Eduardo Alonso / Juan Tello — 6,285 pts |
| Men #10 | Pablo Cardona / Javier Leal — 6,065 pts |
For the women’s draw, the reference remains the official FIP sheet and the ‘Player List’ tab when it is updated: RIYADH SEASON P1 2026 – FIP.
2025 Recap: a disrupted edition, a clear message
In 2025, Riyadh had already served as a ‘first test’: a week marked by delays due to weather conditions and a tense end to the tournament on the organizational side. For the women, the 2025 edition left a particular impression: an anticipated final… ultimately not played after the withdrawal of Bea González and Claudia Fernández for health reasons, which handed the title to Ariana Sánchez and Paula Josemaría.
To review the context of Riyadh 2025: Red Bull – Event report Riyadh P1 2025 and the results/conditions summary: Diario AS – finals in Riyadh (delays + outcome of finals).
How 2025 impacts the outlook for 2026
Riyadh reminds us of one thing: in a first tournament, the unexpected (conditions, tempo, physical state) can weigh as much as tactics. In 2026, pairs that better manage adaptation — warm-up, recovery, clarity in key moments — can gain an invisible advantage, especially when automatisms are not yet ‘locked in’.
Things to watch in 2026: three key areas
- The ‘qualifying tempo’: a pair that strings together two wins on February 7–8 can attack the main draw with valuable confidence.
- New pairings: Riyadh is often a tournament where communication and zone sharing (diagonals, promotion, lob management) are tested in real conditions.
- Wild cards: they can add an unexpected twist, especially against teams that haven’t yet found their competitive tempo.
Key takeaways
- Dates: Riyadh Season P1 2026 from February 7 to 14 (qualifying 7–8, main draw 9–14).
- Formats: 48 pairs for men, 28 for women.
- Entries: qualifiers and wild cards can create surprises from the start of the week.
- 2025 Recap: an edition disrupted by conditions, with a women’s final not played after a withdrawal due to health reasons.
