Madrid delivers a day of major Premier Padel victories

The Madrid Premier Padel P1 produced a memorable round of 16 at the Movistar Arena, with several of the tournament’s leading names pushed aside and a number of emerging pairings taking centre stage.

The biggest upset came from Tino Libaak and Gonza Alfonso, who defeated Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger in a thrilling contest. Augsburger had been crowned champion of the Madrid tournament in 2025, making the victory particularly significant. It was also the first time either Libaak or Alfonso had beaten the Argentine ‘Wolf’ in an official match.

Álex Arroyo and José Jiménez also produced one of the standout performances of the day, overcoming Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz. The fourth seeds arrived in Madrid with considerable momentum after winning the FIP Gold Belgrade only days earlier, but Arroyo and Jiménez maintained their level when it mattered most.

The Spanish pair saved a set point in the opening set before taking control in the second, securing their first quarter final together. They will meet Jairo Bautista and Íñigo Jofre on Friday after the latter pair eliminated No. 8 seeds Momo González and Lucas Campagnolo.

Alonso Rodríguez and Flavio Abbate completed another notable victory, beating Rama Pereyra and José Solano to reach the last eight.

For Abbate, the achievement was historic. The 22 year old became the first Italian player to reach the quarter finals of a P1 level tournament. He and Rodríguez will now face Libaak and Alfonso for a place in the semi finals, guaranteeing that one of the pairings will reach that stage for the first time this season.

At the top of the women’s draw, the leading pairs continued to set the pace.

Gemma Triay and Delfina Brea opened the day with a commanding 6 3, 6 1 victory over Nuria Rodríguez and Giulia Dal Pozzo. The latter pairing has been one of the season’s breakthrough combinations and remains in the race for qualification for the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals.

Paula Josemaría and Bea González were just as convincing. They dispatched Alix Collombon and Ksenia Sharifova 6 2, 6 1 to book their place in the quarter finals.

The leading men’s pairs were equally authoritative. Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello defeated Juan Tello and Maxi Arce 7 6, 6 3, while Ale Galán and Fede Chingotto moved past Juanlu Esbrí and Sanyo Gutiérrez 6 4, 6 0. Esbrí and Gutiérrez had reached the semi finals at the Pretoria Premier Padel P1, but found Galán and Chingotto too strong in Madrid.

Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno, London P1 champions Martina Calvo and Claudia Fernández, Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen, Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero, Nieto and Yanguas, and Marta Ortega and Sofia Araújo also advanced, keeping the leading names firmly in contention.

Salazar gets another night in Madrid

Alejandra Salazar will return to the Movistar Arena on Friday for another chapter in her farewell campaign.

The most decorated player in the history of the sport survived a demanding battle alongside Aranza Osoro against Lorena Rufo and Victoria Iglesias. The Spanish Argentine combination eventually prevailed 7 6, 6 7, 6 2 after Rufo and Iglesias refused to surrender, forcing the match into a deciding set.

Salazar’s reward is a meeting with a familiar opponent and former partner, Triay.

The pair spent two consecutive seasons together at world No. 1 in 2021 and 2022, establishing one of the defining partnerships of that period. Now, with Salazar playing her final professional tournament on home soil, they will meet with a place in the semi finals at stake.

Madrid has already delivered its share of surprises. For Salazar, though, there is still another opportunity to give the home crowd a night to remember.