Kuwait Major draws are out as 32 nations prepare for the World Cup in Doha

The FIP World Cup in Doha will share a record €1.2 million. Sixteen men's and sixteen women's teams play at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex from 2 to 7 November, with the draws and opening ceremony on 1 November. FIP says the prize money, split equally between the two events, is the highest ever offered at an official padel competition. Each event starts with four groups of four, the top two in each group reach the quarter-finals on 5 November, and the finals are on Saturday 7 November. Source: FIP

Tia Norton returns as GB's women head to their first World Cup finals since 2021. Norton, back from an Achilles problem, is the only change from the eight-player squad that qualified in Madrid last month, joining Aimee Gibson, Catherine Rose, Lisa Phillips, Laura Jackson, Abigail Tordoff, Chloe De La Mare and Victoria Nicholas. Libby Fletcher captains the side and former world number one Iciar Montes, now an LTA coach, leads the team. GB will be drawn in a group with one of the four top seeds: Spain, Argentina, Italy or Portugal. Matches are live on FIP's YouTube channel. Source: The Padel Paper

The Kuwait Major draws set up possible semi-finals between the top four seeds. Coello and Tapia are top seeds at The Arena Kuwait, with Galán and Chingotto second, Lebrón and Augsburger third and Stupaczuk and Sanz fourth, and each winning pair takes 2,000 points. Coki Nieto returns to action with Mike Yanguas and could meet Coello and Tapia in the quarter-finals. In the women's draw, Brea and Triay are top seeds, and FIP notes that Josemaría and Sánchez, who won last year's World Cup Pairs in Kuwait together, can only meet with their new partners in the semi-finals. Play starts next week. Source: FIP

Paquito Navarro is still waiting for a first Premier Padel win over Coello and Tapia. Padel Addict, using FIP figures up to 19 October, counts no wins in 24 meetings with Coello and 23 with Tapia since Premier Padel began in 2022, each including one walkover. The 37-year-old, still in the world top 10, has faced them with eight different partners, from Chingotto and Lebrón to his current partner Di Nenno. Source: Padel Addict (Spanish)

Mondo becomes FIP's official global turf partner. The Italian surface maker and the federation say the deal is about keeping playing conditions consistent across FIP's international events. No length or financial terms were published. Mondo has made padel surfaces since the early 2000s and was approved by the Spanish federation in 2012. Source: FIP

NOX launches three AT10 shoes, including a Vibram-soled model with Tapia's name. The new EOS Vibram, at €175, is a new design rather than an update, and NOX says it is up to 17% lighter than its usual line; it goes on sale on 2 November. Two limited editions, a white LUX at €145 and a black PRO at €120, complete the October releases. Source: Padel Addict (Spanish)

Two school friends open a seven-court club in Kent. The Padel Studio opens today at Yalding Enterprise Park, opposite the village station near Maidstone, with five doubles and two singles courts. Founders Sam Prideaux and Tom Maggs wrote their business plan two years ago, and the site also has a café bar over the courts, a gym, a pilates studio, a golf simulator and co-working space. Players can choose pay-and-play or membership. Source: Kent Online