Padel's Asian Games debut gets going as the pro tour signs an integrity partner

Japan and the Philippines win on the opening day in Nagoya. Home pair Ando and Nakamura got Japan's campaign off to a winning start, beating Lebanon's El Hallak and Tohme 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 in the men's round of 32. The Philippines won twice: Lapidus and Canizares beat an Indonesian pair in the men's draw, and Abad and Malazarte beat Saudi Arabia's Kurdi and Alabdullatif in the women's. Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Iran also won their first matches. The FIP reports large crowds at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center. Source: FIP

The creator of Captain Tsubasa backs padel. Yoichi Takahashi, whose football manga became famous around the world, is honorary president of the Japan Padel Association and went to Nagoya to watch the debut. He told the FIP he likes how much thinking the sport demands and how it brings people together. He also suggested that manga and anime about padel could help the sport grow, saying "I could make a manga about it", though Captain Tsubasa still comes first. Source: FIP

Sportradar becomes the tour's integrity partner. Premier Padel and the FIP have appointed Sportradar to watch over every men's and women's Premier Padel match from the 2027 season. Its AI fraud detection system monitors markets worldwide and raises an alert when patterns suggest match-fixing, and the company will also run prevention training. The deal is part of a wider plan to sell official match data, and Premier Padel chief executive David Sugden said the income would be reinvested in the professional game. Source: FIP

Rotterdam opens a three-week run. The main draw at Rotterdam Ahoy starts today, the first of three events in a row: this P2, then the Germany P2 in Düsseldorf and the Milan P1, worth 2,200 ranking points between them. Coello and Tapia defend the men's title as top seeds, ahead of Galán and Chingotto, Lebrón and Augsburger, and Navarro and Di Nenno. Brea and Triay defend the women's title, with Josemaría and González seeded second and Paris Major winners Sánchez and Ustero third. Source: FIP

Lyon points lift Stupaczuk and Sanz to fourth seed in Germany. Reaching Sunday's FIP Platinum final in Lyon earned them 180 points, the same as a P2 semi-final. Padel Addict calculates that this puts them 39 points ahead of Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno, so they will be fourth seeds next week. That means a bye to the last 16 and no meeting with the top three seeds before the semi-finals. Source: Padel Addict (Spanish)

Icardo misses Rotterdam, and Jensen finds a new partner. Tamara Icardo has not recovered from the physical problems that also kept her out of the Paris Major. Her partner Claudia Jensen has teamed up with 19-year-old Spaniard Claudia Escacena, who had a lucky loser place. They go into the draw as eighth seeds. Source: Padel Addict (Spanish)

Trampoline park owner plans a padel centre in Telford. Dean Maguire, who runs the AIREA51 trampoline park, has applied to convert a nearby warehouse at Stafford Park 12 into five doubles courts and one singles court. The plans include a bar, changing rooms, treatment rooms and spa services, with opening from 6am to 11pm every day. The LTA has written in support. The unit was previously used by a whiteboard maker that went into liquidation in February. Source: Telford Live

A derelict factory becomes a padel club near Varese. #4Padel opened on Sunday in Gorla Maggiore, in a warehouse that had stood empty since the late 1990s. The Terzi family has built four indoor courts, a bar, changing rooms and a car park, and plans beach volleyball and a pool next. Source: Varesenoi (Italian)