Padel is in the Pan Pacific Masters Games for the first time this year: three days at Padel Gold Coast in Carrara, 13–15 November 2026, open to anyone 35 or over. No ranking, no licence, no qualifying. Entries close on Friday 16 October. Here is exactly how it works, what it costs and how to get ready in the eight weeks you have.
The short version
| What | Men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles |
|---|---|
| Where | Padel Gold Coast at KDV Sport, 221 Nerang Broadbeach Rd, Carrara QLD 4211 |
| When | Friday 13 November 8am–3pm, Saturday 14 November 8am–5pm, Sunday 15 November 8am–3pm |
| Who | Anyone turning 35 or older by 31 December 2026. Men's and women's doubles run in 35+, 45+ and 55+ divisions; mixed doubles is 35+ only |
| Cost | Games registration $175 (the standard rate, from 1 September) plus a padel sport fee of $60 for your first event and $45 for each additional event |
| Entries close | Friday 16 October 2026, 11:59pm AEST |
| Enter at | mastersgames.com.au — sport: Padel |
| Contact | Ross Taylor (Padel Gold Coast), padel@mastersgames.com.au |
Every figure above is from the Games' own padel page as at 15 September 2026. Match format, seeding and any rating requirements were still listed as "more information coming soon", so check the page or email Ross before you plan around a draw.
Why this is the one to enter
Competitive padel in Australia is thin on the ground. There is no national championship, no state championships, and the two FIP Tour events this year were both in Melbourne in January and both aimed at players well above club level. For a social player who has been hitting for six months and wonders whether they are ready for something real, there has not been an obvious first step — we wrote a whole page about that gap.
The Masters Games fills it. It is open entry, it is doubles only (which is what you already play), the divisions are by age rather than by rating, and the whole thing runs at a club with six floodlit courts and a cafe rather than a convention centre. You will play people your own age who mostly took up the sport the same way you did. And if you live anywhere between Brisbane and the Tweed, it is on your doorstep.
Who can enter
The minimum age is 35, and the Games count your age as at 31 December 2026 — so if you turn 35 in December, you are in. Divisions are 35+, 45+ and 55+ for men's and women's doubles, and a single 35+ division for mixed. The Games page does not say how a pair with partners in different age brackets is placed; the usual Masters convention is the younger partner's age, but confirm with the organisers rather than take our word for it.
There is no rating requirement published and no need for a Padel Australia licence. If you can play a set of doubles, you can enter.
What it costs, worked out
Two fees, paid together at registration:
- Games registration — $175 at the standard rate that applies from 1 September (the early-bird and saver rates have passed). This is the Games-wide fee every athlete pays regardless of sport, and it covers your accreditation and the Games-wide programme rather than anything padel-specific.
- Padel sport fee — $60 for your first padel event, $45 for each additional one.
So one event costs $235. Entering, say, men's doubles and mixed doubles costs $280. Each player pays their own; it is not a per-pair fee.
How to enter, step by step
- Find a partner first. You are entering as a pair, and mixed doubles needs one man and one woman. If you do not have one, the Games run a sports bulletin page for players looking for teammates — and the club noticeboard and Tuesday-morning socials at Carrara are the other obvious place to ask.
- Go to mastersgames.com.au and register as an athlete. That is the $175 Games registration.
- Add the sport: Padel. Choose your event (men's, women's or mixed doubles) and your age division, and pay the $60 sport fee. Add a second event if you want one ($45).
- Do it before 11:59pm AEST on Friday 16 October. Late entries are not advertised.
- Watch the padel sport page for the draw, the format and the schedule — those were still to be published when we checked.
Eight weeks to get ready
You do not need a training plan. You need court time with the person you are entering with, and a few things sorted so the weekend is about padel and not about your gear.
Play together, not just play. Doubles at any level is decided by who covers the middle and who takes the lob. Two decent players who have never played as a pair lose to two average players who have. Book a court with your partner once a week between now and November — Carrara is booked through the Matchi app, Robina through Playtomic, and both run social sessions if you want match practice against strangers. Every Gold Coast court, by suburb.
Get used to the venue. The Games are on the outdoor courts at Carrara. If you normally play indoors or under lights, a couple of daytime sessions there in October will teach you what the November sun does to a lob at 2pm.
Coming from tennis? Most Masters entrants are. The habits that cost points — hitting through the ball off the back glass, serving hard, standing on the baseline — are in padel vs tennis, and they are worth reading once before you practise them out.
The gear that actually matters for a tournament weekend
Three days of matches is more padel than most people play in a month, so the small stuff bites. Prices below are live from our shelf; everything is available to click and collect at Pacific Fair, ten minutes from the courts.
A racket you trust, not a new one. Do not buy a racket the week before. If your current frame is cracked, or you are still using a club hire racket, buy now and put eight weeks on it. A round or hybrid head and a soft core is the safe choice for a long weekend — forgiving on tired arms.
Overgrips, a spare, and a protector. November on the Gold Coast is humid. A grip that goes slick in the second set is the most avoidable way to lose a match; take two or three overgrips and change them between matches, not when you notice. A frame protector goes on before your first practice session, not after the first scrape on the glass. And keep a can of balls in the bag for warming up — do not assume there will be spare balls courtside.
Wristband, hat, sunscreen. Not gear advice so much as three days in Queensland advice.
Getting there and being there
Padel Gold Coast is inside the KDV Sport complex on Nerang Broadbeach Road, with parking on site and a cafe at the club. It is about ten minutes from Broadbeach and Pacific Fair, twenty from Surfers, and an hour down the M1 from Brisbane. If you are travelling for the Games, Broadbeach puts you closest to the courts and to the Games village. If you forget something, our click-and-collect counter is at Priceline Pharmacy in Pacific Fair — order before 1pm on a weekday and it is ready within three hours where the stock is on hand.
Everything about the Carrara club — hours, coaches, booking →
After the Games
If you enjoy it, the club calendar at Carrara lists an Australian Padel Tour event and a Masters final later in the year, and PadlX opens four courts at Burleigh in October and eight indoor courts at Arundel in November, so there will be more places to play and more people to play against by the time the Games are over. How the rest of competitive padel in Australia works →
Entering the Games and not sure your racket is right?
Five quick questions, scored against every racket we stock — takes 60 seconds. Collect at Pacific Fair, ten minutes from the courts.