The news comes amid the hosting of Doha’s Ooredoo Qatar Major, the inaugural event of the four high-profile tournaments worldwide. 

As Doha’s Ooredoo Qatar Major comes to a close, data from the International Padel Federation (FIP) Research & Data Analysis Department has shown that Qatar stands out as one of the leading countries in the Middle East and Asia where Padel has experienced significant development.

“Since 2021, the Qatar Tennis Federation (11 clubs and 80 courts) has been affiliated with the International Padel Federation and is also contributing to the growth of the sport by organizing some international tournaments: in 2023, there were five, all in Doha,” FIP stated in a release. 

The study also highlighted how Qatar is among the highest-scoring countries on FIP rankings. 

“There were 71 Qatari players with FIP rankings and, if the points of all male athletes are added up for each nation, Qatar is the eighth highest scoring country in the world (the first in Asia) thanks also to eight players in the world’s top 300,” the FIP statement added. 

Meanwhile, on the courts of Doha, defending champions Martin Di Nenno and Franco Stupaczuk became the first pair to qualify for the quarter-finals for the Ooredoo Qatar Major. 

The Argentinian duo defeated Spanish counterparts and qualifiers Miguel Angel Solbes and Carlos Marti in two unanswered sets, 6-3 and 6-3.

On the other side, women stars Beatriz Gonzalez and Delfina Brea Sensei advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Argentine Aranzazu Osoro and the Spaniard Carmen Goenaga García, 6-4, 6-1.