South Africa lands its first Premier Padel event, and it's a P1

Premier Padel is going to Africa for the first time, and it's landing there as a P1. The Pretoria Premier Padel P1 runs from 27 July to 2 August 2026 at the SunBet Arena in Time Square, Pretoria, the tour's debut on South African soil.

From P2 to P1

Pretoria was first pencilled in as a P2. Reports in South Africa say organisers pushed to have it bumped up a tier, and the International Padel Federation now lists the event as a P1 on its 2026 calendar, with a prize pot of 479,068 euros. The upgrade matters. A P1 carries more ranking points and pulls in the top seeds, so the biggest names on tour are expected to make the trip.

What it means

The jump to P1 turns a first-time stop into one of the season's marquee weeks. South African officials have called it a historic moment for the country's fast-growing padel scene, and it hands local fans a chance to watch the world's leading pairs in person for the first time.

Malaga first

Before Pretoria, the tour restarts this week much closer to home. The Malaga P1 runs 13 to 19 July at the Martin Carpena arena, with Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia seeded to lead the men's draw. From there the circuit heads to South Africa, then on to London in August.