P1 or P2 in padel: What are the differences on Premier Padel?

Two similar categories, but not the same weight in terms of athleticism

On tour with Premier Padel, the designations P1 and P2 are not just marketing terms. They immediately place a tournament within the global hierarchy of professional padel. A P1 ranks above a P2, just behind the Major tournaments in the hierarchy of regular tournaments. A P2, meanwhile, remains a major stop on the circuit, but with lower sporting, economic, and logistical significance.

The distinction is important: a P2 tournament is not a minor tournament in the narrow sense of the term. The best male and female players can compete in it, the level remains international, the points count toward the FIP ranking, and media exposure can be very high depending on the host city. But all things being equal, a P1 tournament offers higher prize money, features a more competitive field in the men’s draw, and carries more weight in the season.

FIP points: the first true indicator between P1 and P2

The most obvious difference concerns the rankings. A P1 title is worth 1,000 points, compared to 600 for a P2 title. This difference carries over to each round: a P1 finalist earns 600 points, the same as a P2 winner. A P2 finalist receives 360 points, the same as a P1 semifinalist.

This structure gives P1 a central role in the race for rankings. For a pair already near the top of the standings, performing well in P1 helps solidify their place among the best. For a pair on the rise, a strong result in P1 can give their season an acceleration. P2, meanwhile, remains very valuable, but it doesn’t have the same leverage.

The FIP ranking is based on cumulative results, with the best results over the selected period being taken into account. This means that a player’s ranking is not determined solely by a single tournament, but by consistency. Within this consistency, however, P1 tournaments carry greater weight: they yield more points and take precedence over P2 tournaments in the tiebreaker criteria in the event of a deuce.

• A title in P1 is worth as much as a win in P2 plus a P2 final.
• A P1 finalist receives the same number of points as a P2 winner.
• In the event of a deuce in the rankings, results from P1 take precedence over those from P2.

Tables: The men’s P1 opens up much wider

This is one of the most tangible differences for players. In 2026, the men’s main draw of a P1 tournament will feature 48 pairs. That of a P2 tournament will feature 28. The P1 tournament therefore offers more spots in the main draw, more matches, and more opportunities for pairs ranked just behind the very best.

This difference also changes the dynamics of the qualifying rounds. In men’s P1, 8 pairs can advance to the main draw through qualifying. In men’s P2, only 4 pairs can do so. Over the course of a season, this detail carries significant weight for players navigating between qualifying and direct entry: a P1 tournament can offer more breathing room, but also a longer and more demanding path.

On the women’s side, there is a difference, but it is smaller. The main draw of a P1 tournament has 28 pairs, compared to 24 for a P2 tournament. Qualifying sends 4 pairs into the main draw in both categories. The difference between P1 and P2 is therefore less dramatic for women when considering format alone, although it remains clear in terms of points and prize money.

Byes, seeds, and wild cards: the details that change the draw

Beyond the size of the draw, there is also a whole draw mechanism that varies between P1 and P2. It’s less obvious to the general public than the points or the prize money, but these details directly influence the entry of the top pairs, the spots reserved for wild cards, and the path taken by players coming through the qualifiers.

Byes: More Common in Men’s Division 1

The size of the draw directly affects the byes—those exemptions from the first round that allow certain seeds to enter the tournament later. In the men’s division, a P1 tournament with 48 pairs is played in a 64-position draw, with 16 byes. A men’s P2 tournament with 28 pairs is played in a 32-position draw, with 4 byes.

• In the men’s P1 division, more seeds can receive a bye in the first round.
• In the men’s P2 division, the field is tighter, and the competitors are in the mix more quickly.
• In the women’s competition, the difference in draw size is smaller, with 28 pairs in Round 1 and 24 pairs in Round 2.

The Seeds: A More Hierarchical Men’s Draw in P1

The number of seeds follows the same logic. A men’s P1 tournament with 48 pairs features 16 seeds in the main draw. A men’s P2 tournament with 28 pairs features 8 seeds. For women, tournaments with 24 or 28 pairs still feature 8 seeds in the main draw.

In practical terms, the men’s P1 bracket protects more pairs in the draw. The P2 bracket, with a shorter draw, leaves less leeway: big match-ups can occur sooner, especially for pairs near the top of the seeds.

Wild cards: More invitations possible in P1

Wild cards also reflect differences in status. In the men’s main draw, a P1 event has 3 wild cards in the main draw and 2 in qualifying, although the number may be adjusted depending on the size of the qualifying draw. A men’s P2 event has 2 wild cards in the main draw and 2 in qualifying.

For women, P1 offers one wild card in the main draw and one in qualification. The P2 retains one wild card in the main draw, with no wild cards scheduled for the qualifying rounds. Here again, the P1 gives organizers a little more leeway, particularly when it comes to including a local pair, a promising pair, or a player making a return to competition.

Bonuses and penalties: P1 also comes down to the details

Another, more subtle difference: bonuses tied to qualifying and certain administrative penalties do not carry exactly the same weight depending on the category. Here again, P1 stands out with a higher value, including in the regulatory details that primarily concern players and their teams.

Prize money: P1 pays significantly more

The debate over professional padel earnings comes up regularly, especially when figures are shared on social media. To properly compare a P1 and a P2, you need to refer to the official prize structures and keep one key point in mind: the figures reported are gross amounts, per player depending on the distribution structure, before taxes, personal expenses, travel, coaching, or private agreements.

The findings are clear: the shift from a P2 tournament to a P1 tournament significantly changes a tournament’s financial structure. In the men’s draw, the minimum prize money is nearly doubled; in the women’s draw, the gap also remains significant, even though the total prize money is still lower than in the men’s draw.

This point can be interpreted in two ways. First, P1 offers better pay than P2, which is consistent with its position in the sports hierarchy. Second, while the men’s and women’s rankings are aligned, the prize money is not. This is one of the sensitive issues surrounding the professionalization of padel: the tour is growing, the economy is expanding, but the financial distribution remains unequal.

A mixed-use P2 unit priced at €264,534: a reasonable figure, but one that needs to be interpreted correctly

When a P2 tournament features both men’s and women’s draws, the total prize money for the 2026 draws is €154,534 for the men’s draw and €110,000 for the women’s draw, for a total of €264,534. This figure is consistent with the prize money amounts typically seen at certain P2 tournaments.

However, caution is still warranted. A social media post may cite a rounded figure, an outdated prize structure, a local allocation, or an incomplete breakdown of the prize money. For an article or analysis, the best approach is to refer to the FIP/Premier Padel rulebook applicable to the season. This is especially important since the amounts may change, particularly if an organization exceeds the required minimum.

Infrastructure: Not Two Split Worlds, but a Different Burden

It would be tempting to say that a P1 automatically requires infrastructure that is radically superior to that of a P2. However, public documents do not allow us to state it so simply. Premier Padel tournaments share a set of core requirements: compliant courts, approved surfaces, lighting suitable for broadcast, officiating, player areas, medical conditions, security, communications, match protocols, and broadcast requirements.

The real difference lies in the volume. A men’s P1 tournament with 48 pairs generates more matches than a P2 tournament with 28 pairs. This means handling more rotations, more practice slots, more locker room management, more transportation, more scheduling, and more media requests. The infrastructure isn’t necessarily any different, but the event is more demanding to run.

• No more pairs to host and mentor.
• No more matches to schedule for the week.
• No more constraints related to training, transportation, and retrieval.
• Greater pressure on the organizing teams, umpires, and media operations.

For organizers, this often means a more demanding budget, team, and planning process. For spectators, the effect can be positive: more matches, more players to watch, more early-round matches, and a sense of a more intense tournament. But a well-established P2 tournament, held in a major city at a spectacular venue, can also offer a remarkable spectator experience.

A common foundation: same rules, same process, same standards

A P1 and a P2 are two stages of the same official circuit. The general rules of professional padel apply; points count toward the FIP ranking; the draw is managed according to Premier Padel procedures; and players compete within a common regulatory framework.

Therefore, we shouldn’t pit these two categories against each other as if they belonged to two different worlds. A P2 tournament can feature a very high-caliber big match-up. A P1 tournament can be marked by absences or upsets. The category sets the frame, but the lineup, the schedule, the pairs, and the local context are what bring the tournament to life.

P2s: A Growth Driver for Premier Padel

When planning a season, Premier Padel P2 events play a strategic role. They enable Premier Padel to enter new markets, expand its international reach, and raise the profile of cities that may not initially have the economic or logistical capacity to host a P1 event.

P2 can also become a testing ground for growth. A tournament that fills its stands, attracts sponsors, prioritizes the fan experience, and stands the test of time can carry weight in future discussions. P2 status does not prevent an event from becoming a must-attend. It simply means that, for now, it falls into a category below P1 in terms of regulations.

The real recap: P1 and P2 don’t depict the same moment in a season

The P1 is the event with the greatest impact on the sport: more points, more prize money, more spots in the men’s draw, and greater weight in the ranking system. The P2 is more compact and offers lower prize money, but it remains a high-level event, often crucial for pairs seeking to solidify their rankings or secure a permanent spot in the main draws.

The comparison makes even more sense when viewed over the course of a season. A player can build a season by racking up good results in P2, but a strong run in P1 changes the trajectory more quickly. P2 helps build valuable consistency; P1, on the other hand, provides stronger acceleration when results follow.

Key Takeaways

• A P1 is worth 1,000 points to the winner, compared to 600 for a P2.
• The men’s draw is much larger in P1: 48 pairs compared to 28.
• Among women, the difference in the draw is smaller: 28 pairs in Round 1 versus 24 in Round 2.
• The minimum number of male players has nearly doubled between P2 and P1.
• The points for men and women are the same, but the prize money is not.
• The technical requirements are the same, but a P1 requires a more complex organizational structure.

Further Reading

• FIP Documents: Premier Padel rulebooks, men’s and women’s rules, reference documents.
• FIP ranking and Point Allocation: Official Scale for Understanding the Weight of P1 and P2.
• Official Premier Padel 2026 Schedule: List of P1, P2, Majors, and Finals tournaments for the season.