Irish padel boom draws players and brands at Hiscox Open

The Hiscox Padel Irish Open in Dublin put €18,000 in prize money and FIP Silver status on the line as Hiscox returned as title sponsor and CUPRA came aboard as an official co-sponsor. Billed as Ireland’s biggest padel event, the five-day tournament ran from July 15-19 at Saint Mary’s College Rugby Club in Templeogue.

The numbers behind the event explain why brands are circling. RTÉ has said padel popularity is exploding in Ireland, with more than 60,000 players now thought to be on courts across the country, and described the sport as one of the fastest growing in the world. The shift from the inaugural Padel Irish Open in Limerick, where Hiscox was first announced as title sponsor, to a new Dublin venue for the 2026 edition shows the tournament has outgrown its first footprint.

The sporting side matched the commercial pull. FIP Silver status gave the Dublin week real ranking weight, and the event structure ran from Tuesday qualifying through to the finals, turning the weekend into a proper international test rather than a showcase exhibition. Pre-event promotion highlighted players including Fernandez, Cabeza Teres, Dominguez and Jacobson, with Fernandez listed at world No.62, Cabeza Teres at No.65 and Dominguez at No.74, a field strong enough to give the Irish Open legitimacy far beyond the domestic scene.

The broader picture is one of a sport trying to build an ecosystem, not just stage a tournament. The Padel Federation of Ireland says its five-year strategy is built around facilities, clubs, coaching, competitions, inclusion, international connection and long-term sustainability. ForeFront Group was involved in organising the event, and the sponsor line-up, with Hiscox back in place and CUPRA now added, suggests the Irish market is moving from curiosity to repeat investment. With Dublin hosting the second edition and Limerick having launched the title sponsor story, the Irish padel boom is starting to look less like a burst of novelty and more like the opening phase of a domestic circuit with money, players and partners all feeding the same growth curve.