Great Britain Chase Doha Berths as World Cup Qualifiers Reach the Group Stage in Madrid

Great Britain's padel teams are chasing a return to the FIP World Cup this week, with both the men's and women's sides in group-stage action at the FIP World Cup Qualifiers - Europe in Madrid.

Four spots up for grabs

The event, running September 22 to 26 at the Padel G24 club, brings together 27 men's national teams and 20 women's national teams from across Europe. Only two places per gender are on offer for the World Cup in Doha this November, and the knockout stage starts Friday, September 25.

GB's path through the groups

Great Britain's women open against Serbia and Norway, in a section where the winner earns a bye straight to the semifinals. The squad features Catherine Rose and Aimee Gibson, both of whom won FIP Bronze titles this year, plus 16 year old debutant Chloe De La Mare.

The men face Moldova and Austria in their group, with the section winner set to meet the group featuring Romania, Greece, Ukraine and Czechia in the quarterfinals. Christian Medina Murphy headlines the squad alongside debutant Theo Garton.

What's next

Group play runs through September 24 before the field narrows to a knockout bracket. Whoever tops each group keeps their Doha hopes alive; anyone who slips up goes home. The two qualifiers from Madrid will join 13 men's and 13 women's teams that have already secured their places, with the last pair of spots to be settled at the Asia-Africa qualifiers in Kuwait in late October.

FAQ

Q: How many World Cup spots are available in Madrid? A: Two per gender, four in total, for the FIP World Cup in Doha this November.

Q: When does the knockout stage start? A: Friday, September 25, after three days of group-stage matches.

Q: Who is Great Britain playing in the group stage? A: The GB women face Serbia and Norway, and the GB men face Moldova and Austria.