R3 reveals £50K prize pot for 2026 Bullpadel Cup series
EXCLUSIVE
The R3 Bullpadel Cup is set to reshape the professional padel landscape in the UK after R3 Sport revealed that the 2026 series will offer the biggest prize incentive yet seen in British professional padel.
Through the introduction of a season-long leaderboard, R3 Sport will commit a £25,000 prize pot for the series plus £25,000 for its new R3 Bullpadel Invitational Guernsey in June, which will be open to the top eight players on the leaderboard.
The announcement marks a significant step forward in earning potential and competitive opportunity for players competing at the highest level, according to R3, which recently signed GB No 3 Tia Norton to its stable of players
Leaderboard to replace R3 finals
At the centre of the announcement is the launch of the R3 Bullpadel Cup leaderboard, a new points-based format that will run across all Open R3 Bullpadel Cup events during the 2026 season.
Under the new format, points will be awarded based on the finishing position achieved by a player in each designated R3 Bullpadel Cup event. At the end of the season, the top five men and top five women on the leaderboard will qualify to share a £25,000 prize pot, with no finals event required.
To be eligible, players must compete in a minimum of three R3 Bullpadel Cup events during the year. The structure has been designed to reward sustained performance across multiple tournaments, rather than a single standout result.
The R3 Bullpadel Cup leaderboard is open to any player competing in a professional padel event delivered by R3 Sport. There are no nationality, residency or ranking restrictions, provided the player is eligible to compete in the relevant event. Exhibition matches, invitational events and non-designated competitions will not count towards leaderboard points.
The groundbreaking move comes ahead of the closing entry deadline for the Stratford R3 Bullpadel Cup event on February 13, which will serve as the first points-scoring event of the 2026 season.
Format change
According to R3 Sport Managing Director of Operations, Sam Kemp, the R3 Bullpadel Cup format has evolved to reflect the strategic growth of the events and clear, consistent feedback from players. The updated format is designed to deliver higher-quality competition in the UK and abroad, while providing additional opportunities for players to win prize money.
“From a strategic perspective, the changes enhance player satisfaction and retention, create a more engaging experience for fans and season-long story telling. Player feedback played a central role in shaping the evolution, with particular emphasis on multiple opportunities to win, the need for greater prize money and an already congested calendar that doesn’t lend itself to additional finals events. Together, these adjustments reinforce the R3 Bullpadel Cup’s ambition to set a benchmark for professionally delivered, player-focused padel events”, said Sam, who described the announcement as a defining moment for the domestic game. “This is a landmark and genuinely transformative step for professional padel in the UK,” he said.
“For us, this is about career development and earning potential – and, ultimately, building sustainable player pathways for long-term success within British padel. By rewarding consistency across an entire season, R3 recognises the players who commit week in, week out, compete at the top of their game and deliver results across an entire season.”
The revised structure represents a shift away from isolated tournaments toward a linked professional series with consistency at its heart, offering players a compelling reason to commit to a full season of competition in the UK.
Momentum
The 2026 changes build on the 2025 Bullpadel Cup series, which showcased the growing strength of British padel. At the finals event, Christian Medina Murphy secured victory in the men’s draw, while Abigail Tordoff claimed the women’s title, underlining the increasing depth of domestic talent.
R3 Sport hopes the introduction of a season-long leaderboard will further accelerate that progress, encouraging both British and international players to compete regularly in UK-based professional events.
Guernsey invitational
Linked to the new leaderboard is the launch of the Guernsey invitational with its £25,000 prize pot. It is expected the tournament will be held at Havilland Hall, owned by the family of R3 Sport’s Jonathan Rowland.
Designed in the mould of elite showcase competitions such as the Reserve Cup, the invitational will see the top eight players on the R3 Bullpadel Cup leaderboard (at the time of selection) competing. Combined with the end-of-season leaderboard payout, the invitational brings R3 Sport’s total incentive commitment for 2026 to £50,000, setting a new benchmark for professional padel in the UK.
2026 calendar
Feb 27th – March 1st: LTA British Tour Grade 1, Stratford Padel Club
March 20th – 22nd: LTA British Tour Grade 1, City Padel, Exeter
June 11th: Havilland Cup Invitational Havilland Hall, Guernsey
June 29th – July 5th: FIP Silver Padel54, Northern Ireland
August 12-16: FIP Bronze Mol, Belgium
October 5-11th: FIP Silver Stratford Padel Club
Additional events may be added. All event information is subject to change.
R3 Sport operates as part of the wider VVV Sports group, which focuses on providing the infrastructure emerging sports need to transition from rapid growth to sustainable professional success. 🎾
