From local clubs in Lahore to packed arenas in Rome and Paris, padel has grown into a genuine global sport with its own set of superstars.

Padel, a racket sport that blends the walls and quick exchanges of squash with the shot-making of tennis, has surged in popularity across the last few years. That rapid growth has pushed the professional game forward too, and the padel world rankings are now followed as closely as those in any major racket sport.

Just like its two sister games, this racket-based sport features some globally renowned players, credited to the national and international tournaments held occasionally.

However, the international player ranking is not random. It’s based on a set of defined criteria that determine the current athletes’ positions on the ranking board. Also, these padel world rankings are built on a clearly defined system that rewards performance, consistency, and results across official competitions.

In this guide, updated for 2026, we break down how the global padel ranking system works under the International Padel Federation and Premier Padel, and we highlight the players sitting at the top of the men’s and women’s game right now.

Global Padel Player Ranking System

Let’s explore the set criteria for the international ranking of Padel players.

(Based on the World Padel Tour Criteria)

1. Points System

The World Padel Tour (WPT) ran a points-based system that ranked players by how often they entered and won WPT-sanctioned padel tournaments. Players earned more points by advancing deeper into events, through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The WPT has since merged into Premier Padel, but the logic it used still underpins how rankings work today.

Examples from previous WPT point tables show that:

• Masters tournaments award more points than regular Opens or Challengers.
• Winners of Masters events receive substantially more ranking points.
• Points decrease for players eliminated in earlier rounds.

This structure means that consistent success in high-level events helps players climb the WPT ranking.

2. Rolling 12-Month Period

Apart from the point-based system, the player rankings are based on a rolling 12-month period. This means that the value of points earned from a specific tournament gradually decreases. Points earned from tournaments remain part of a player’s total for about one year. After this period, older points are replaced by new results from the same event or equivalent level.

For instance, if a player wins a tournament in a year and is ranked high, after 12 months, the player will fall off the list due to the decreased value of the earned points. The list will then feature the players with the highest points scored in the given event for the current year.

This rolling approach ensures the WPT ranking reflects current form and recent performance rather than older achievements.

3. Best Results Count

Adding more to the previous point, a player’s points do decrease in value after a year but are not entirely useless. The number of best performances a player gives in a year all adds to the player’s score on the ranking table.

Players who reach finals or semifinals at bigger events will earn more points than those who only reach early rounds or participate in lower-tier tournaments. What matters here is the fact that the best performance points from previous years also add to the score table, determining the player’s final rank.

(Based on the International Padel Federation (FIP) Criteria)

The International Padel Federation (FIP) is the official governing body responsible for managing the global padel ranking system. The ranking system for 2026 announced by FIP is in conjunction with the Qatar Airways Premier Padel and CUPRA FIP TOUR tournaments. Here’s a breakdown of the criteria:

The Premier Padel Tournaments are divided into three categories:

• Majors: The highest-ranked Padel series
• P1 tournaments: The second-highest-ranked series
• P2 tournaments: The third-highest-ranked matches

The FIP Tour tournaments have their division into four major categories:

1. Platinum
2. Gold
3. Silver
4. Bronze

The tournament’s final features the top players, who are then ranked accordingly on the international rank table.

Here’s how the ranking system works:

• Points Based on Tournament Results: Players earn ranking points depending on how far they advance in an event, with higher-tier tournaments offering more points.
• Best Results Count: Only the best 22 results from FIP-sanctioned tournaments within the ranking window are counted. This ensures that consistency in performance is rewarded.
• Rolling 52-Week System: Points earned are valid for 52 weeks. When a point or result passes one year old, it drops from the player’s total and is replaced by newer performance points.

Note: The earned points are based on how well a player performs in a match series. Also, the points from previous performances are added to determine the final rank on the performance board.

World Padel Tour and Premier Padel: What Changed

For years the World Padel Tour was the main professional circuit, running alongside the International Padel Federation (FIP). That changed in 2024, when the WPT merged into Premier Padel, the FIP-backed tour supported by Qatar Sports Investments. Since then, Premier Padel has been the top professional circuit, and the FIP rankings are the official global standard.

For players and fans this mostly means one unified ladder instead of two competing ones. The 2025 and 2026 FIP rule and calendar changes refined how points are shared across events, and you can read more about those in our guide to the FIP 2026 rule changes.

The Best Padel Players in 2026

Now, let’s have a look at the current stars of the world of Padel, ranked according to the FIP standards.

Top Male Padel Players

1. Agustin Tapia

Agustin Tapia, the Argentine right-side specialist, sits at the very top of the men’s game in 2026. Alongside Arturo Coello he holds the joint world number one ranking, and the pair have swept most of the season’s biggest titles, including the Rome and Paris Majors. Tapia blends explosive smashing with rare composure, and while still in his mid twenties he is already one of the most decorated players on tour.

2. Arturo Coello

Arturo Coello, from Spain, is the other half of the world’s dominant pair. Tall and powerful at the back of the court, he turned professional as a teenager and has since climbed to joint world number one with Tapia. Together they have collected multiple Major titles and remain the team to beat at almost every Premier Padel event.

3. Alejandro Galan

Alejandro Galan remains one of the sport’s biggest names. Now partnering Federico Chingotto, the Spaniard forms the main challenger to the top pair and contests finals week after week. Galan has spent long spells at world number one earlier in his career and also serves as a leading voice for players through the Professional Padel Association.

Top Female Padel Players

1. Delfina Brea Senesi

Delfina Brea, originally from Argentina, is one half of the world’s top-ranked women’s pair in 2026. Partnering Gemma Triay, she is admired for her powerful smashes, court intelligence, and calm decision-making under pressure. Together Brea and Triay have reached almost every final this season, which makes them the clear women’s team to beat.

2. Gemma Triay Pons

Gemma Triay of Spain is one of the most accomplished players in women’s padel history. Known for her control, tactical awareness, and all-round court coverage, she holds the joint world number one ranking alongside Brea. In 2026 she became the first player in Premier Padel history to reach 200 tour wins, a mark of just how consistent she has been.

3. Ariana Sanchez Fallada

Ariana Sanchez of Spain is a former world number one and still one of the most consistent women on tour. Nicknamed “magic” for her precise shot-making, she now partners Andrea Ustero, and the pair won the Paris Major in 2026 among several titles. Sanchez has been a fixture near the top of the FIP rankings for years.

Who Is the Number One Padel Player in 2026?

In the men’s game, Agustin Tapia and Arturo Coello hold the joint world number one ranking in 2026, well clear of Alejandro Galan and Federico Chingotto in second. In the women’s game, Gemma Triay and Delfina Brea sit at number one, with Ariana Sanchez and Andrea Ustero among their closest rivals.

Because padel is scored by pair rather than by a single player, the number one spot is usually spoken of as a team. The same two pairs have traded most of the season’s biggest finals between them, and the race is often decided at the Major events. For the fast-growing local scene, our look at the Premier Padel league in Pakistan shows how that global structure is reaching home.

How to Check the Latest Padel Rankings

The official rankings live on the International Padel Federation site at padelfip.com, which publishes the full men’s and women’s lists along with the FIP Race, a separate table that tracks points earned in the current season only. Premier Padel also shows live standings during its events.

Because the ranking runs on a rolling 52-week window, the lists shift after every tournament, so it is worth checking the official source for the current week rather than relying on an older snapshot.

Final Words

The global padel scene moves quickly, and the fight for the top spot gets fiercer every season. The pairs on top today are not guaranteed to stay there tomorrow, which is exactly what makes the rankings worth following. Staying there demands skill, smart strategy, and real mental toughness across a long calendar.

The players above have earned their places through years of consistent, high-level results under the FIP and Premier Padel system. As the rankings keep shifting and new talent keeps breaking through, one thing is clear: padel is in for an exciting ride ahead. If the sport has caught your eye, the best next step is to get on court yourself and see what the fuss is about. You can read more on how the game took off in our piece on the history of padel.

Frequently Asked Questions