Wednesday, 8 July 2026: Northern Ireland has underlined its credentials as an emerging destination for professional padel following the successful staging of its first-ever professional tournament last week.
Almost 1,000 spectators attended the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup - NI Open at Padel54 in Moira, where world-class players from across Europe competed in the highest level of professional padel ever staged on the island of Ireland.
Part of the official CUPRA FIP Tour sanctioned by the International Padel Federation (FIP), the tournament attracted the strongest player field ever assembled for a UK event, bringing leading international players to Northern Ireland for the first time and showcasing the sport at its very highest level.
The men's title was won by Sweden's Daniel Windahl and Simon Vasquez, who defeated Albin Olsson and Sten Richters in the final. In the women's competition, Noemi Aguilar Carrillo and Letizia Maria Manquillo Alarza claimed the title after overcoming Marina Lobo and Claudia Montero.
Alongside official FIP world ranking points, players also competed for valuable R3 Bullpadel Cup Leaderboard points as part of the season-long series, with live coverage streamed from Centre Court and Court 1 throughout the main draw.
R3 athletes also enjoyed an impressive week. GB No.1 Christian Medina Murphy and Alberto Garcia Jimenez reached the men's semi-finals, while Catherine Rose and Aimee Gibson were narrowly beaten in a high-quality women's quarter-final.
For R3 Sport, the tournament represented another important milestone in its ambition to build a stronger professional padel ecosystem across the UK and Ireland while creating more opportunities for players to compete at the highest level closer to home.
Sam Kemp, Managing Director of Operations, Tournaments & Events at R3 Sport, said:
"Looking back on the past week, we're incredibly proud of what the tournament achieved, both on and off the court.
The quality of the competition was outstanding, but what stood out just as much was the atmosphere throughout the event. From the players and spectators to our event partners, officials, volunteers and the fantastic team at Padel54, everyone played their part in making this a memorable occasion.
Bringing professional padel to Northern Ireland for the first time has always been about more than one tournament. It's about helping grow the sport, creating opportunities for players and showing what can be achieved when clubs, partners and governing bodies work together. We'd like to thank everyone who helped make this inaugural event such a success."
Bradley Bate, co-owner of Padel54, said:
"It has been an honour for Padel54 to host Northern Ireland's first professional padel tournament.
The quality of players the event attracted was exceptional and created an atmosphere that exceeded all expectations. Welcoming almost 1,000 spectators through our doors and watching local players compete alongside some of the world's best has been absolutely fantastic.
We're proud to have showcased what Padel54 and Northern Ireland can offer as a destination for international padel and look forward to welcoming more world-class competition in the future."
The success of the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup - NI Open provides further evidence of padel's rapid growth across Northern Ireland and reinforces the region's credentials to host future international competition.
About R3 Sport
R3 Sport is a professional padel organisation operating across athlete management, tournaments and performance pathways within the UK and internationally. Through the R3 Bullpadel Cup series and its growing elite roster, R3 is focused on raising competitive standards, supporting British and Irish players on the international stage and building long-term structures within the sport.
About VVV Sports
R3 Sport forms part of VVV Sports, a next-generation sports, media and entertainment company building infrastructure behind some of the world's fastest-growing sports, including padel and pickleball.
Operating across athlete management, events, infrastructure, media and commerce, VVV Sports is expanding internationally through investment in player pathways, elite events, centres of excellence and premium sports content across the UK, Ireland, the United States and the Middle East.