NORTHERN Ireland will host its first-ever professional padel tournament in July as the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup – NI Open is set to take place at Padel54 in Moira.
Taking place as part of the official Padel Federation CUPRA FIP Tour, the event marks the highest level of padel ever played in Ireland with international players ranked inside the world’s top 100 expected to compete alongside leading Irish players and top European competitors.
The FIP Silver category tournament will feature men’s and women’s draws, world ranking points and €18,000 in prize money, Qualification rounds begin on 1 July, with the main draw starting on 3 July before finals day on Sunday 5 July.
The event also forms part of the 2026 R3 Bullpadel Cup Leaderboard, where players accumulate points across the season in pursuit of a £25,000 end-of-year prize pot shared between the top five players.
Bradley Bate, co-owner of Padel54 said: “Padel has experienced incredible growth on the island of Ireland over the last number of years and there is a real appetite for high-level competition and major sporting events. When we opened Northern Ireland’s first dedicated padel facility, our aim from the outset was to grow the sport locally, develop players’ abilities and create a venue capable of hosting padel at the highest possible standard.
We are delighted to host the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup – NI Open and give local players the opportunity to experience world-class padel on their doorstep for the very first time. This is a landmark moment for Padel54 and for the growth of the sport here. We look forward to welcoming international players, visitors and the wider community to Moira for what promises to be a fantastic week of play.”
Sam Kemp, Managing Director of Operations, Tournaments & Events, R3 Sport and organiser of the tournament said: “Padel is growing rapidly across Northern Ireland and Ireland, and Padel54 has been at the forefront of that development with a high-quality venue and a really engaged local community.
Bringing a FIP Silver tournament to Northern Ireland is an important step because it introduces professional, world-ranking competition to a market where the sport is still developing at pace. This is a strong international-level event, with the potential to attract leading Irish players alongside top European and global talent. For us, Padel54 was the right partner and the right venue to help bring that standard of professional padel to Northern Ireland for the first time.”
Naomi Nicholl, CEO of the Padel Federation of Ireland said: “This is a major step forward for padel on the island of Ireland. Hosting an official FIP international circuit event in Northern Ireland for the first time creates invaluable opportunities for local players to compete at a higher level, while also inspiring wider participation in the sport. It also reflects the vision and commitment of the Padel54 team, who have worked hard to build both grassroots engagement and competitive pathways since opening in 2024.”
For further information on the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup – NI Open go to www.r3-sport.com
Discover more from LoveBelfast
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
