EXCLUSIVE: Premier Padel Qatar Major decision imminent as postponement looms

A decision on the fate of the Qatar Major is expected this week, sources close to the matter have told Padelvoz.com — with postponement to a later date in the Premier Padel season now the most likely outcome.

Organisers have been in constant contact with local security authorities in Doha since we first broke the story last week. The tournament, scheduled for April 6–11 in Doha, has been under serious threat since the outbreak of conflict in the region.

Multiple Iranian missile strikes have hit targets across Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain in recent days as part of Tehran's response to a US and Israeli military offensive.

The resulting airspace closures and flight disruptions have made transporting players, staff, broadcast crews and equipment into the region increasingly untenable.

As recently as this weekend, Qatar's Ministry of Defence confirmed the country had intercepted a further wave of ballistic missiles and drones.

The precedent from other sports is stacking up. The FIA World Endurance Championship postponed its Qatar season-opener, citing safety concerns. The UEFA Finalissima between Argentina and Spain, scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium, is also under active review.

QSI don't want to lose their Major

Qatar Sports Investments, the Qatari backers who own Premier Padel, have communicated an intention to keep the tournament in Doha — possibly at a later date — rather than surrender it to an alternative host city. Cancellation is not on the table.

A postponement within the 2026 calendar is the preferred outcome, but at present, the security risks in the region aren't going away anytime soon.

Where does a rescheduled Major go?

The short answer is, nowhere obvious. Players are typically given a week's break after tournaments in order to rest, train, and prepare for the next tournament.

With the FIP World Cup in November, and padel's inclusion to the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Italy, the padel schedule is already is packed.

The Qatar Major is an outdoor, uncovered tournament, and Doha's summers are punishing with temperatures average highs of 38–41°C (100.4–105.8°F) between June and September, with July the hottest month at a peak of 41.5°C (106°F).

Playing professional matches in those conditions is not feasible, and likely to be an unpopular choice among the players.

October is the only realistic window, and even that requires the geopolitical situation to drastically change, and Premier Padel organisers would need to displace, compress, or cancel existing events on what is already padel's busiest-ever calendar — 26 tournaments across 18 countries.

Players won't easily be persuaded

Even if Qatar's security situation stabilises by October, there is a growing reluctance among players to return to the region, sources close to high-profile figures in the game have told Padelvoz.

Several were caught up in the travel chaos that followed the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, when players were stranded after airspace closures.

The psychological residue of that episode won't dissipate quickly.

Persuading players to board a flight to Doha — even months after missiles were intercepted over Hamad International Airport — is a materially different proposition to the one Premier Padel was having in January.

The sporting integrity problem

Postponement creates a competitive fairness issue with no clean solution. The Qatar Major is the first of four Majors in 2026, making it the highest-value ranking event of the early season.

A player who is fit now but picks up an injury before a rescheduled October date is directly penalised through no fault of their own. The inverse is equally problematic: a player carrying an issue in April who peaks in October gains an unearned advantage. Neither reflects sporting merit.

There are further downstream effects: seedings, Finals qualification thresholds, and preparation cycles built around the original date would all need to be dismantled and rebuilt.

A decision from Premier Padel organisers is expected imminently. Padelvoz.com will report it first.

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