Karachi hosts Pakistan's first FIP Tour padel event as Lacamoire and Ronco take title

Karachi, the city where padel first took root in Pakistan, hosted the country's first event on the International Padel Federation's professional tour in early October 2026. FIP Bronze Pakistan I, part of the CUPRA FIP Tour, held its main draw from Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October, with the semi-finals and finals on the closing day.

The finals

The men's title went to Julian Lacamoire and Adrian Ronco, who were coming off a win at FIP Bronze Damac in Dubai the previous weekend. They beat Wagdy Raslan and Aly Zaghloul 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals and then edged Pablo Pastor and Agustin Reca 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a final that went the distance.

The women's event was far more one-sided. Top seeds Ainize Santamaria and Gimena Sol Perez conceded only six games across the whole tournament. They beat Nika Sluzhiteleva and Anastasiia Ryzhova 6-1, 6-2 in the final, adding to a season in which Santamaria had already collected FIP Bronze titles elsewhere on the tour.

A Pakistani in the final four

The home interest centred on Asfa Shahbaz, who reached the women's semi-finals alongside Gabriela Andrade before losing 6-1, 6-2 to the eventual champions. Before the tournament, APP reported that Islamabad brothers Huzaifa Abdul Rehman and Huzaima Abdul Rehman, the country's most successful men's pair of 2026, were preparing for their first FIP event in Karachi. The brothers had arrived in form after winning the Toyo Nasic Master in Lahore. The FIP's closing report did not detail their run, so their result is not covered here.

Why it matters for Karachi

The tournament carried a purse of 8,500 euros, roughly Rs2.68 million according to APP, which is modest by tour standards but significant as a first step. The FIP said Pakistan was one of 17 countries hosting a CUPRA FIP Tour event for the first time in 2026. In its preview, the federation cited the World Padel Report 2025 estimate of around 50,000 amateur players in Pakistan, and noted that Karachi had also hosted an FIP Promises event for younger players the week before the Bronze tournament.

For local players, a ranking event on home soil removes the biggest barrier to international progress: the cost of travelling abroad to earn FIP points. For Karachi's network of private padel venues, it is a chance to show that the city can stage tour-level competition.

What to watch

The tournament's name, Pakistan I, hints at the possibility of further editions. If more FIP events follow in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad, Pakistan's top pairs will have a clearer route onto the international rankings without leaving the country. The early evidence from this week is encouraging, with a Pakistani player reaching the last four of the women's draw in the very first edition.