What Is the LTA Padel Ranking?
The LTA Padel Ranking is the system that determines who gets accepted into Grade 3, 4, and the upper tiers of UK padel competition, and how players are seeded within those draws. If you’re competing in LTA-sanctioned events in Great Britain in 2026 — or planning to — understanding how the ranking is built is the difference between knowing why you got into a draw and wondering why you didn’t.
The ranking system is straightforward once you understand its three core mechanics: the rolling 52-week window, the best-six-results rule, and how pair rankings work for doubles acceptance.
How Ranking Points Are Earned
Every LTA-sanctioned padel tournament — from Grade 5 Local Tour events up to Grade 1 British Tour events — awards ranking points based on how far you progress in the draw. Win more matches, progress further, earn more points. The amount of points available scales significantly with grade: Grade 1 and 2 events offer far more points than Grade 4 and 5 events, which is part of why the standard at higher grades is so much more competitive.
One important rule: you earn one set of points per event, regardless of how many stages you play in. If you compete in both a qualifying draw and the main draw at the same tournament, you receive one set of points based on your overall result — not separate points for each stage.
There are two separate ranking lists in operation. The standard LTA Padel Rankings cover Open events for adults. The LTA Padel Senior Rankings cover senior circuit events. If you compete in both, you can appear on more than one list simultaneously.
Note: for ranking purposes, all GB Seniors Tour events are treated as Grade 2 senior tournaments regardless of how the event is branded.
LTA Padel Ranking Points by Grade: The Full Table
The table below shows the Open category ranking points awarded at each grade based on your finishing position. These are individual points — both players in a pair receive the same points for their result.
| Position | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 4,000 | 3,000 | 1,000 | 500 | 300 |
| Runner-up | 3,000 | 2,260 | 760 | 380 | 240 |
| Semi-finalist | 2,200 | 1,660 | 560 | 280 | 180 |
| Quarter-finalist | 1,600 | 1,200 | 400 | 200 | 120 |
| R16 Winner | 1,200 | 900 | 300 | 152 | 88 |
| R16 Runner-up | 1,000 | 760 | 252 | 124 | 80 |
A few things worth noting from the table. The gap between grades is substantial — winning a Grade 5 event earns 300 points, the same as reaching the round of 16 at a Grade 1. This reflects the difference in field quality and is what drives players to compete at higher grades once their ranking is established. At Grade 4 and 5, the compass draw format means every pair is guaranteed at least three matches, so even an early exit still earns you points. At higher grades, losing your first match in a straight knockout earns significantly fewer points than reaching the same stage via the compassdraw route.
The 52-Week Rolling Window
Your LTA Padel Ranking is not a permanent accumulation of every point you’ve ever earned. It is a live snapshot built from your results in the previous 52 weeks, recalculated weekly. Once a result falls outside that window — more than a year old — it drops out of your ranking entirely.
This means rankings are always current. A strong run of tournaments a year ago counts for nothing today if those results have aged out. Conversely, if you’ve been inactive for a year and then return to competition, your ranking will start building from scratch as new results come in.
The practical implication: consistency matters more than occasional peaks. A player who enters eight or ten events across a season and performs solidly will build a more durable ranking than one who plays one or two events and wins them.
The Best-Six-Results Rule
Of all results you accumulate in the 52-week window, only your best six count toward your ranking. If you play twelve tournaments in a year, your six strongest results form your ranking and the weaker six are discarded.
This has two effects worth understanding. First, it incentivises playing more events — more results means more chances to replace weaker scores with stronger ones. Second, it means there’s a ceiling effect once you have six strong results: a new mediocre result won’t damage your ranking, but a new strong result will replace the weakest of your existing six.
For junior players moving between age groups, there’s an additional grace rule: when you leave an age group, you can retain ranking points earned in that group for up to 12 months, provided those results still fall within your best six.
How Pair Rankings Work for Tournament Acceptance
This is the part most club players don’t fully understand until they try to enter a Grade 3 or 4 event for the first time.
At Grade 3, 4, and the British Tour grades, acceptance and seeding are based on the combined ranking of a pair — your ranking plus your partner’s ranking added together. The draw is then ordered by combined pair ranking from strongest to weakest.
At Grade 1 and 2, combined FIP (international) ranking takes priority over LTA ranking for acceptance. Only once all FIP-ranked pairs are placed do LTA-ranked pairs fill the remaining spots.
The combined ranking system exists to prevent distorted draws. Without it, a nationally ranked player could partner a complete beginner and enter Grade 3 events on the strength of one player’s ranking alone, which would be unfair to both the unranked player and the opponents they’d face.
What this means practically: if you have a strong ranking and your partner has no ranking, your combined ranking is just your score — an unranked player contributes zero. Choosing a partner with a working ranking will place you higher in the draw and improve your acceptance chances at competitive grades.
How to Check Your LTA Padel Ranking
Your current ranking is visible through your LTA Advantage account. The LTA Padel Rankings and LTA Padel Senior Rankings tables are also publicly viewable on the LTA Padel website, updated weekly. If you’ve recently competed and your result isn’t reflected yet, rankings update on a weekly cycle — it won’t appear instantly after a tournament.
If you have no ranking yet, it means either you haven’t competed in any LTA-sanctioned events, or your results haven’t accumulated enough to place you on the published table. Grade 5 entry doesn’t require a ranking, so your first events will earn points that build toward your first listed position.
Why the Ranking Matters — and When It Doesn’t
For Grade 5, ranking is irrelevant for entry — first come, first served. It does affect seeding within the draw, but that’s secondary.
From Grade 4 upward, your ranking determines whether you get into the draw at all. A strong ranking gets you in; a weak one or no ranking means you may not be accepted if the event is oversubscribed with higher-ranked pairs. This is why building your ranking consistently through Grade 5 and then Grade 4 events is the right approach before attempting Grade 3.
For a complete picture of how the grades connect — what each level involves and how to progress through the structure — see LTA Padel grades explained. If you’re still at the stage of entering your first event, the LTA Padel Grade 5 guide and how to enter an LTA Padel tournament cover the practical steps. And if you’re working out what racket to bring, the Racket Intelligence analysis will match you based on how you play.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are LTA Padel ranking points calculated?
LTA Padel ranking points are calculated from your best six results in any rolling 52-week period. Each event awards points based on how far you progress in the draw, with the amount varying by grade — a Grade 1 winner earns 4,000 points, while a Grade 5 win earns 300 points. Rankings are recalculated weekly.
How many points do you get for winning an LTA Padel tournament?
It depends on the grade. A Grade 5 win earns 300 points. Grade 4: 500 points. Grade 3: 1,000 points. Grade 2: 3,000 points. Grade 1: 4,000 points. These are Open category points for adult competition. Both players in a pair receive the same points for their result.
How many results count towards your LTA Padel ranking?
Only your best six results in any rolling 52-week period count. If you play more than six events in a year, your weakest results are automatically discarded. Rankings are recalculated weekly as results enter and exit the 52-week window, so a result from over a year ago drops out entirely.
Do you need an LTA Padel ranking to enter tournaments?
No ranking is needed for Grade 5 — entry is first come, first served. From Grade 4 upward, acceptance is based on your combined pair ranking. If you have no ranking, you can still enter Grade 4 events but will be placed in the draw after all ranked pairs and may not be accepted if the event is oversubscribed.
How does the combined pair ranking work in LTA Padel?
At Grade 3, 4 and above, acceptance and seeding are based on your individual ranking added to your partner’s ranking. If your partner has no ranking, they contribute zero to the combined total. This prevents high-ranked players from gaining unfair draw access by pairing with unranked players.
