Irish Padel Tour sets record with £10,000 prize fund for 2026 season opener in Derry
The Argento Cup brings elite international standards to Northern Ireland with record prize money and multi-category competition
The Irish Padel Tour (IPT) is set to make history with the launch of the 2026 season, headlining with the CUPRA IPT P1 – Argento Cup. Taking place on February 28 and March 1, 2026, the event will debut at the newly opened, state-of-the-art Let’s Go Padel Derry facility.
With £10,000 in total prize money on offer, the Argento Cup sets a new benchmark for elite padel competition in Ireland.
As the opening event of the season, the Argento Cup will play a pivotal role in shaping early IPT rankings, while also welcoming intermediate and mixed players to compete on a national stage.
Tournament Categories - Open Men (IPT ranking event); Open Women (IPT ranking event); Intermediate Men & Women; Mixed.
The tournament will run a knockout (elimination) format with a Plate competition, guaranteeing every player or pair a minimum of two matches.
Women’s categories will compete on Saturday; Men’s and Mixed categories will span Saturday and Sunday.
The tournament features a tiered prize structure for the Open Men’s and Women’s categories, based on the number of competing pairs.
Open Men & Open Women (32+ pairs) - Winners: £2,500; Runners-up: £1,000; Semi-finals: £300; Quarter-finals: £100.
17–32 pairs - Winners: £1,500; Runners-up: £600; Semi-finals: £200; Quarter-finals: £50.
12–16 pairs - Winners: £750; Runners-up: £300; Semi-finals: £100.
Competitors in the Intermediate and Mixed divisions will vie for high-performance padel equipment. Winners: equipment valued at £300; Runners-up: equipment valued at £200.
Entry is now officially open to the public with a registration fee of £25 per player.
As the first tournament of the year, the CUPRA IPT P1 Argento Cup offers competitors the chance to start the season strong, earn crucial ranking points, and stake an early claim among Ireland’s top padel players.
Due to the high profile of the event and the record prize fund, organisers anticipate a rapid sell-out.
Players and pairs can secure their spot today by registering via the Vola app.