Kuwait Recap: Hella Upsets & a New Record (🇰🇼)
The Premier Padel circuit stopped in Kuwait City last week for the Kuwait Major. While the World No. 1 pairs left with hardware, there’s a (much) bigger backstory.
On the men’s side, Golden Boys Coello / Tapia continued their seemingly endless run of dominance, defeating No. 9s Tello / Arce 6-1, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. The victory mathematically secured their fourth consecutive season as the year-end world No. 1 pair. Highlights here.
The Golden Boys’ numbers are getting a little ridiculous. Kuwait marked their 23rd consecutive match win and fifth consecutive tournament victory. They’re now one title away from matching their personal record of 14 titles in a calendar year, set in 2024.
Tello / Arce deserve some credit, too. The Argentine duo reached their first final together, with Arce making his first Premier Padel final and Tello returning to one for the first time since Paris in 2022.
Other notable breakthroughs included:
No. 12s Libaak / Alfonso reached the Semis after knocking out No. 3s Lebrón / Augsburger, then No. 5s Di Nenno / Navarro.
No. 11s Alonso / Goñi also made a run to the Semis, knocking out No. 4s Stupaczuk / Sanz in the Quarterfinals.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of 18- and 20-year-olds Enzo Sintes and Daniel Zamora reaching the Quarterfinals as the 30th-ranked pair in the draw, reportedly the lowest-ranked duo ever to reach that stage of a Premier Padel Major.
On the women’s side, No. 1s Triay / Brea recovered from dropping the opening set to defeat No. 3s Sánchez / Ustero 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, collecting their seventh title of the season and second Major of the year. Triay now sits at 59 career titles, making her the most decorated female player in pro padel history. Highlights here.
Also worth noting, the Semis were absolute marathons:
Sánchez / Ustero needed 3 hours and 44 minutes to get past No. 2s Josemaría / González in the Semis
Triay / Brea survived a match point against No. 4s Fernández / Calvo in a three-hour battle of their own, winning 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
While Triay / Brea strengthened their grip on the women’s No. 1 ranking, the race isn’t over just yet. The battle for the top spot could come down to the final tournament of the season.
Alas, the Padel World Cup Arrives (🇶🇦)
This week, the focus shifts from individual partnerships to national teams at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.
32 national teams will compete across the men’s and women’s competitions, with 16 teams in each draw. Argentina’s men and Spain’s women enter as defending champs following their respective victories in the 2024 World Cup (also held in Doha).
The remaining qualifiers are in
The last qualification spots were decided last week in Kuwait as part of the Asia-Africa Qualifiers. Three teams punched their tickets, including:
Australia’s men, who will be returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2018 after defeating Egypt.
Indonesia’s women, who pulled off a huge surprise defeating Japan. Japan had beaten Indonesia in the Asian Games final just a month earlier.
Egypt’s women, who qualified after beating Tunisia.
Here’s how the groups shake out
The group-stage draw is now official, with four groups of four teams in each competition.
Each team faces the other three nations in its group in ties consisting of up to three matches. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, while the remaining teams continue competing for ninth through 16th place.
Beyond the world titles, Doha will feature the largest prize pool in the history of the competition at >$1.3 million, split equally between the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Argentina vs. Spain, again?
On the men’s side, it’s difficult to look past the usual rivalry. Argentina arrives as the two-time defending champion, having won the 2022 and 2024 editions. Its roster is stacked with Agustín Tapia, Federico Chingotto, Leo Augsburger, Tino Libaak, Franco Stupaczuk, Martín Di Nenno, Gonzalo Alfonso, and Maxi Arce.
Spain is looking to reclaim the title it last won in 2021. Its squad features Arturo Coello, Juan Lebrón, Paquito Navarro, Jon Sanz, Mike Yanguas, Coki Nieto, Aimar Goñi, and Javi Leal.
But one key absence could blunder their chances. Ale Galán was forced to withdraw after a right-hand and wrist injury that first showed signs of discomfort during the Milan P1, where he was seen applying ice. The injury also kept him out of the Kuwait Major. Javi Leal was selected as his replacement.
Portugal and Italy are worth watching as well. Portugal finished third in 2024, while Italy finished fourth. France and Brazil could also make things interesting.
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The women’s side has a bit of a different flavor.
Defending champs Spain look like the team to beat, with an absurdly deep roster of Gemma Triay, Bea González, Ari Sánchez, Paula Josemaría, Claudia Fernández, Andrea Ustero, Martina Calvo, and Marta Ortega.
Argentina is the obvious challenger, led by world No. 1 Delfi Brea. Italy and Portugal are also worth keeping an eye on after finishing third and fourth, respectively, in 2024.
For the full schedule, live scores, groups and results, check the official FIP World Cup tournament page.
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