Is Padel in the Olympics? — Olympic Status, FIP Recognition, and the Road to 2032

Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in the world. With over 25 million players across more than 90 countries, it is bigger than many Olympic sports in terms of participation. Yet padel remains absent from the Olympic programme. This article explains the current status, what it takes to reach the Olympics, and whether Brisbane 2032 could change that.

The Current Olympic Status of Padel

Padel is not an Olympic sport as of 2026. The sport was not included in the programme for Paris 2024, and it will not feature at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The LA 2028 programme was finalised several years ahead of the Games, and padel was not among the sports invited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

This does not mean padel has been excluded or rejected. The path to Olympic inclusion is a long, structured process — and padel is further along that path than many realise.

The International Padel Federation and IOC Recognition

The International Padel Federation (FIP), founded in 1991 and headquartered in Madrid, is the global governing body for padel. FIP recognition by the IOC is a critical distinction.

The IOC grants recognition to international sports federations that meet a set of criteria covering governance, anti-doping compliance, global representation, and gender equity. FIP has held IOC recognition, which means it has been formally acknowledged as a legitimate international sports federation. This recognition is a prerequisite — but only a prerequisite — for Olympic inclusion.

IOC recognition does not automatically put a sport on the Olympic programme. It opens the door to the next phase of consideration.

How Sports Are Added to the Olympic Programme

The IOC’s process for adding new sports to the Olympic programme is competitive and multi-stage:

Step 1: IOC Recognition

The governing body must hold IOC recognition. FIP has this.

Step 2: Application and Evaluation

Sports federations can formally apply to be considered for the Olympic programme. The IOC evaluates applicants against criteria including:

• Global reach — is the sport practised in a sufficient number of countries across multiple continents?
• Gender parity — does the sport offer equivalent competition for men and women?
• Youth appeal — does the sport attract young athletes and audiences?
• Anti-doping compliance — is the federation fully compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code?
• Governance standards — does the federation meet IOC integrity and transparency requirements?
• TV and media value — does the sport have broadcast appeal?

Step 3: Host City Invitation (Optional Programme Sports)

The IOC may also grant the host city the right to propose additional sports for inclusion in a specific Games (as “optional” or “additional” sports). This was used for surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding at Tokyo 2020, and breakdancing at Paris 2024.

Padel has not been proposed as an additional sport for any upcoming Games.

Why Padel Is Not Yet in the Olympics

Several factors explain padel’s current absence:

Geography of Participation

Olympic sports are expected to demonstrate truly global reach. While padel is enormous in Spain, Argentina, Italy, Sweden, and the Middle East, its presence in Asia, Africa, and North America — while growing — is still limited compared to established Olympic sports. The IOC places particular weight on genuine global participation, not just participation numbers from a concentrated geographic base.

Governance Fragmentation

For much of the 2010s and early 2020s, padel’s professional circuit landscape was fragmented, with the World Padel Tour and later Premier Padel competing for commercial control of the sport. Unified governance — with FIP clearly in control of the sport’s competitive and regulatory structures — is essential for Olympic credibility. Steps toward consolidation have been made, but the IOC looks for sustained governance stability.

Competition from Other Sports

The Olympic programme has a finite number of sports, and adding a new one typically requires displacing or restructuring existing events. The IOC is cautious about expansion. Padel competes for space alongside a range of well-established and rapidly growing sports. Being the fastest-growing sport in the world does not automatically translate into Olympic priority.

Padel at Multi-Sport Events

While waiting for Olympic consideration, padel has established a presence in other multi-sport competitions. This matters because multi-sport participation builds FIP’s case that the sport meets the IOC’s global competition requirements.

Pan American Games

Padel has featured in the Pan American Games, the multi-sport event for the Americas held every four years. This provides a high-profile international competition format that generates visibility and supports athlete development pathways across the Americas.

South American Games

Padel has been included in the South American Games, giving the sport a recognised multi-sport competition record in one of its strongest regions.

European Games

Padel has competed at the European Games, the multi-sport event organised under the European Olympic Committees. European inclusion is significant because it demonstrates to the IOC that padel can meet the operational standards of major multi-sport events on the continent where it is most established.

Asian and Other Regional Games

FIP has worked to expand padel’s presence in Asian Games formats and regional multi-sport events across the Middle East and South Asia. These competitions build the international infrastructure needed to support an eventual Olympic bid.

The Prospects for Brisbane 2032

Brisbane has been awarded the 2032 Summer Olympics. The programme for Brisbane will be shaped over the coming years, with the IOC expected to determine the core programme and any additional sports well in advance.

Padel’s prospects for 2032 depend on several factors:

• Continued global growth — particularly in Asia, Africa, and North America where participation remains relatively low
• Governance unity — sustained FIP authority over the professional game and a clear, unified competition pathway
• FIP’s formal application — FIP must actively pursue Olympic programme status rather than simply meeting criteria passively
• IOC priorities — the IOC has signalled interest in sports with strong youth appeal, digital audience reach, and urban accessibility; padel scores well on all three

Most analysts of the Olympic inclusion process regard 2032 as the earliest realistic window for padel. Even then, inclusion is far from guaranteed. The sport will be competing against other federations with strong cases of their own.

What Olympic Inclusion Would Mean for Padel

For the padel community, Olympic inclusion would be transformative:

• Funding and visibility — Olympic status unlocks significant public funding for national federations and athlete development programmes
• Media reach — an Olympic tournament would expose padel to billions of viewers worldwide, accelerating the sport’s growth in currently under-developed markets
• Legitimacy and investment — Olympic status attracts sponsorship, government support, and infrastructure investment at a different order of magnitude
• Athlete development — a clear Olympic pathway changes how the sport is structured at junior and national team level in every member country

For the full story of padel’s development from its origins in Mexico to its current global footprint, see our history of padel and governing bodies of padel guides.