WPT cancels all FIP points — PPA: ”Commercial circus”

A new chapter is added to the WPT and the FIP battle. World Padel Tour has announced to the players that they will freeze the FIP points, and only the WPT competitions will be taken into account for the official ranking. Something that the PPA, the Padel Players Association, has reacted strongly to. 

In an apparent reaction to the announcement of the creation of an alternative FIP/QSI circuit, World Padel Tour has sent a statement to the players, announcing that from now on, only the points achieved in the official calendar will be taken into account for the WPT ranking. 

In this way, the unified FIP/WPT ranking will stop functioning, and the points achieved by the players in 2021 will be frozen, not allowing them to defend the points in 2022.

”The official WPT ranking will be formed based on the competitions and tournaments included in the official WPT calendar,” the WPT statement says. 

And continues: 

“Immediately, WPT will temporarily freeze the FIP points in the official WPT ranking. Thus, the players will have the tranquillity of maintaining such points active and their respective positions in the classification.”

This situation will affect primarily those in the lower part of the ranking since the points they have achieved in FIP tests will be eliminated, with the consequent descent in the official ranking. The WPT has stated in its announcement that it will start working urgently to solve this situation, creating alternative competitions to complement the Master, Open, and Challenger to favor the promotion of the most affected players.

Meanwhile, from the PPA, the response was immediate, and through an announcement from its president Ale Galán, it has shown his dissatisfaction with the decision.

They have called the organization an ”amateur and commercial circus” and accused it of being disrespectful to the players, among other things. Ratifying their role as defenders of the player's interests, and showing visibly concern about the consequences that this decision will have, especially in the lower part of the ranking.

“The players were informed of a formal decision already adopted, on which we must insist again, neither have we been asked or informed as to how the way of calculating your ranking will be changed and modified. You are aware of the damage that this “de facto” change supposes, not for the players ranked at the top of the ranking, but precisely for those who are lower down,” the PPA letter said.