Formula 1 stars and global athletes joined Premier Padel for a week of open-door matches at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.
Doha. Qatar: Premier Padel, the world’s leading official professional padel tour, welcomed an exceptional line-up of Formula 1 stars and global athlete padel enthusiasts for a full week of open-door padel matches at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail, ahead of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix.
With padel rapidly becoming the favourite off-track sport of the Formula 1 paddock, this year’s event brought unprecedented participation from F1 drivers, including George Russell, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Yuki Tsunoda, Franco Colapinto, Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly.
They were joined by Qatar Airways ambassador Novak Djokovic, NBA icon Carmelo Anthony, Italian World Cup–winning footballer Marco Materazzi, former tennis great Fernando Verdasco, former footballer Adlene Guedioura, American soccer player Jozy Altidore, and leading padel talents Dora Chamli, Mashari Nawaf and Rashed Nawaf – all showcasing their enthusiasm for the world’s fastest-growing sport. The event was hosted by Premier Padel and PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi in partnership with Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer attended the Sunday tournament, while Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown attended throughout the week to support the drivers and celebrate padel’s growing presence in the F1 community.
The extraordinary activation highlights how padel has become a shared passion among F1 drivers and top athletes worldwide - a sport that blends competition, camaraderie and accessibility.
