The competition for the Barcelona Premier Padel Finals is coming to a head with just the Mexico Major and the Cupra FIP Finals left. The elite competition, which is only open to the season’s top 16 men and women, will be held at the Palau St. Jordi from December 8–14. Even if the majority of spots are already taken, there are still some available spaces, therefore the next tournaments will be crucial.
Men’s competition for the final position
Fifteen players are already certain of their place: Coello, Tapia, Galan, Chingotto, Stupaczuk, Lebron, Nieto, Yanguas, Navarro, Bergamini, Di Nenno, Augsburger, Sanz, Guerrero, and Gonzalez. The latter two’s triumph in the FIP Platinum in Veracruz guaranteed them qualification.
Leal, who is now in 16th place with 3395 points, holds the last position. The person closest to him is Juan Tello, who is in 17th place with 3172 points. Tello needs to go at least to the quarterfinals of the Mexico Major, which would mean overcoming Chingotto and Galan in the round of 16—a difficult achievement if he wants to overtake Leal. The Cupra FIP Finals in Shanghai would be his final resort if he lost, but even a win there might not ensure qualification.
Edu Alonso (18th with 2782 points) and Tolito Aguirre (19th with 2712) remain mathematically in contention, but their chances are slim given the significant gap. Players like Gonza Alfonso and Alex Ruiz who are rated 20th or lower are no longer eligible to qualify.
The fight for the last spots among women
Brea, Triay, Josemaria, Sanchez, Gonzalez, Fernandez, Araujo, Ustero, Ortega, Icardo, Salazar, Alonso, Jensen, and the youthful Martina Calvo, who leads by a wide margin in 14th place, are among the 14 women’s team players who are all but guaranteed to qualify.
Six players compete for the final two spots. With 3180 points, Aranzazu Osoro, who recently won the FIP Platinum Veracruz, is only 315 points behind Marina Guinart (3495) and 470 points behind Veronica Virseda (3650). Osoro, along with Victoria Iglesias (3105 points) and the young duo Bea Caldera and Carmen Goenaga (3040 points), must reach at least the semifinals in Mexico to have a chance of overtaking Guinart or Virseda.
Guinart and Virseda are still the clear favorites to claim the final two spots based on the current standings, and it will take outstanding efforts from the other competitors to alter the result.
Looking forward to the Finals
The Barcelona Finals promise to be a showcase of the best talent in padel, with the top 32 players of the season competing for glory. The Mexico Major and the Cupra FIP Finals will determine the last names on the list, ensuring that the road to Barcelona remains filled with drama and high stakes.