The Asia Pacific Padel Tour (APPT) has successfully delivered its first-ever Grand Slam Platinum event, marking a defining milestone for padel in the region as the APPT Grand Slam Platinum Hong Kong 2026 took over Kai Tak Sports Park from 17–19 April alongside the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
Set against one of Asia’s most iconic sporting weekends, which welcomed more than 113,000 spectators, the tournament positioned padel at the heart of the action, introducing the sport to thousands of new fans and cementing its place within the region’s major event landscape.
At the center of the experience was the APPT Arena, a standout feature in the Kai Tak Fan Village. Built in partnership with Olympia Courts, Hong Kong’s first-ever Air Padel pop-up court—featuring striking purple turf—became one of the most talked-about activations of the weekend. Surrounded by fan-favorite experiences and the electric atmosphere of the Sevens, the court delivered a visually iconic and high-energy stage for the sport.
“This was more than a tournament—it was a statement for padel across the Asia Pacific,” said Carlos Carillo, CEO of APPT. “Launching our first Grand Slam Platinum at Kai Tak during the Hong Kong Sevens and in front of over 100,000 fans shows the scale of where this sport is heading in the region.”
Event Highlights
The four-day event blended elite competition, community engagement, and entertainment, creating a full-scale festival of padel.
- Thursday kicked off with an exclusive Celebrity Pro-Am, welcoming global rugby icons such as Waisale Serevi and DJ Forbes, alongside Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Caslick and other international athletes, media, and KOLs.
- Friday opened the court to the community, featuring youth clinics and grassroots activations supported by PADEL+, giving Hong Kong’s next generation direct access to the sport in a world-class setting.
- Saturday marked the start of the Pro Main Draw, where top international and regional players battled through intense matches under the Hong Kong heat, with the Kai Tak Stadium providing a dramatic backdrop.
- Sunday finals brought peak energy to the APPT Arena, where thousands of fans gathered as the tour’s top athletes competed for the first Grand Slam Platinum title in APPT history.
Final Results
The Pro Finals delivered high-level competition and standout performances across both draws.
- Women’s Final: Spain’s Carla Serrano, 2025 Jakarta Master Final champion, and Portugal’s Patricia Ribeiro, one of Europe’s rising competitive players with strong FIP circuit experience, defeated top seeds Elisabeth Nogueras (APPT Asia No.1) and Joanna Tao Yee (APPT Asia No.2) from the Philippines in straight sets, 6/3 6/2. Nogueras and Tao entered Hong Kong as dominant back-to-back-to-back champions, making the victory a defining upset on the APPT circuit.
- Men’s Final: UAE’s Sergio Icardo and Spain’s Jordi Casanova overcame Spain’s Eduard Altimires Ros (APPT No.1) and Adria Mercadal (APPT No.5) in a tightly contested match, securing the title 6/4 7/5 after a high-intensity battle.
A New Benchmark for Padel in Asia
The APPT Grand Slam Platinum Hong Kong 2026 sets a new standard for the sport in the region—blending world-class competition, premium event production, and mass audience exposure within one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages.
With the successful debut of the Grand Slam Platinum category, APPT signals a new era for the tour, with even larger and more highly anticipated tournaments to come later this season as padel continues its rapid rise across Asia.
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