The Maldives has quietly become a place where your island holiday can double as a coaching clinic from world-class athletes. A cluster of resort announcements for late 2026 shows just how far the trend has gone — padel, football and badminton are all landing on Maldivian sand.
The headline act for racket-sport fans is a first for the country: CROSSROADS Maldives will stage the Maldives' inaugural FIP Silver Women's Padel tournament at SAii Lagoon Maldives from 5–8 November 2026. Twenty-six international professionals are lined up, including eight ranked in the world's top 100 — headliners are Spain's Nuria Rodriguez (world No. 24) and Marta Talavan (No. 36), with Finland's No. 1 Martina Minetti and Britain's No. 3 Rosie Pooley also competing. Spectator entry is free and open to everyone, from resort guests to local residents.
If you want more than a seat courtside, there are paid ways in. From 5–8 November, masterclasses with Rodriguez and Talavan cost USD 450 per day or USD 1,200 for all four days — that buys four hours of daily training and matches, a dinner with the pros, and access to watch every tournament match. Earlier, from 2–4 November, private one-on-one coaching with Minetti or Pooley runs at USD 200 an hour, or USD 400 for a one-hour matchplay session against two professionals. Slots are limited and bookings go through the resort.
Elsewhere, ananea Madivaru — a twin-island luxury resort in North Ari Atoll that opened in July 2025 — hosts Cornelia Lister, captain of Sweden's national junior padel team and a former WTA doubles titlist who once ranked world No. 72 and played all four Grand Slams, from 7–14 November 2026. She'll run two afternoons of padel sessions, free for in-house guests, on courts that sit alongside a pickleball setup, overwater gym and Kandu Spa.
Families with football-mad kids should look at Avani+ Fares in Baa Atoll, where former Liverpool defender Martin Kelly leads a four-day kids' camp from 15–18 November 2026. Open to ages five to 13 and all skill levels, it includes daily afternoon coaching, beach games, pool parties, FIFA tournaments, a full kit (jerseys, shorts, socks) and a medal-and-certificate closing ceremony. Participation costs USD 399 per child, and a five-night package — room, half board, camp place for one child and seaplane transfers — starts from USD 3,784 for two adults and one child. The resort has form here, having run three previous camps with Michael Owen.
Rounding things out, W Maldives welcomes two-time Olympic badminton gold medallist Wang Chi-Lin — champion in both Tokyo and Paris — from 1–3 December 2026. Guests get a complimentary one-hour coaching session, while Marriott Bonvoy members can bid on an exclusive coaching experience bundled with a four-night overwater villa stay.
For active travellers, this season turns a Maldives trip into something more than sunbathing — and several of the headline experiences cost nothing at all if you're already staying at the right resort.
