What are the IRF World Championships?
Racquetball's world titles, staged by the International Racquetball Federation since 1981, when the first edition was held as part of the World Games at Santa Clara. They have run biennially in even years ever since, the only exception being the 2020 edition pushed to 2021.[1] [2]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Daniel De La Rosa (USA) · Paola Longoria (MEX) | San Antonio, Texas — XXII; Longoria's record 6th title |
| 2022 | Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) · Paola Longoria (MEX) | San Luis Potosí (MEX) — XXI |
| 2021 | Alejandro Landa (USA) · Paola Longoria (MEX) | Guatemala City — XX, delayed from 2020 |
| 2018 | Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) · Gabriela Martínez (GUA) | San José (CRC) — XIX |
| 2026 | — scheduled: XXIII championships | Temuco (CHI), 16–24 October |
Recent editions — men's and women's singles champions.
What is contested?
An Individual Cup of men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles; and a team competition in which each tie is decided over second singles, first singles and a doubles rubber, with separate men's, women's and combined national titles. Play runs as round-robin groups of four feeding a Gold elimination draw for the top two and an Elite draw for the rest, with two bronzes and no third-place playoff.[2] [3]
How do players qualify?
They do not — their federation enters them. The rules are explicit that entries are accepted only from affiliated federations and not from individuals, and the caps are tight: two men's singles, two women's singles and one pair in each of men's, women's and mixed doubles per country. Citizenship must be proved by passport, a federation switch carries an eighteen-month wait, and the minimum age is 15. Seeding comes from a country ranking built on each nation's best finishes across the previous two championships, not from individual world rankings.[2] [3]
Who wins?
Mexico and the United States, with Bolivia, Guatemala and Costa Rica close behind. Paola Longoria of Mexico is the dominant figure of the era: her 2024 win in San Antonio was a record sixth women's singles world title, having already passed the previous record of three in 2021.[1] [4]
References
- IRF — International Racquetball Federation. Accessed August 2026.
- IRF — championship rules and formats. Accessed August 2026.
- IRF — future events. Accessed August 2026.
- IRF — results archive. Accessed August 2026.