Aimee Gibson returns to FIP Tour in Belfast after injury layoff

Aimee Gibson returned to the FIP Tour in Belfast after five months out, stepping into the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup - NI Open at Padel54 in Moira as her first real competitive test since tearing her left calf in Bahrain. The 34-year-old spent eight weeks in a protective boot and on crutches after falling in a quarterfinal at FIP Bronze Bahrain in February, and a planned comeback at FIP Silver London in May collapsed when tests showed the leg was not ready.

Her FIP profile now lists her at No 108 with 430 points, down from No 89 before the injury and still short of her career-best No 81, and the layoff forced her to rethink how she handles the grind of the tour. Constant travel and immediate switches from tournament court to training court contributed to the calf problem, and the rehab period pushed her toward more rest, more time at home and better recovery habits. In March, she said she would "come back stronger", but she also admitted the mental side of the injury had been harder than she expected.

Gibson's return also reunited her with Catherine Rose, who became British number one during Gibson's absence and only the second British woman to reach the FIP world top 100. The pair already have a working history: in Sydney they won the FIP Silver Australian Padel Open without dropping a set, beating Carla Fernandez Gonzalez and Nerea Guerra Santana 6-3, 6-3.

The tournament opened July 1 as the highest level of professional padel ever staged in Ireland and the first professional padel tournament ever held in Northern Ireland, with men’s and women’s draws, world ranking points and €18,000 in prize money. The field included more current and former top-25 players and more top-100-ranked competitors than any previous UK padel event. The Lawn Tennis Association counts four FIP international events in Britain in 2025 and five in 2026, including one bronze and four silver events, with London due to host Britain’s first Premier Padel event in August.