The return of Lucia Sainz: “Great feelings here. Equal prize money introduced by FIP is a model to follow”

World champion with the Spanish national team, with a past as number one in the world rankings. Lucia Sainz, born in 1984 and an icon of world padel, returns as an anticipated protagonist at the FIP PLATINUM Sardegna, this time paired with Patty Llaguno, with whom she forms the second pair on the entry list. This is a significant event for the Spaniard: “I am so happy to be here again, Sardinia and Cagliari give me great feelings”, she said at the end of the first training session at the Tennis Club under the watchful eye of Marcela Ferrari. Three years since the last time, Lucia reflects on the changes her sport has undergone since 2020: “Padel has changed so much, especially after the pandemic”, she continued. “Take Italy for example, which in a short time has become one of the most important realities in Europe for this discipline. This can only be a positive sign, because having so many countries supporting us and helping the movement to grow is beautiful. And I believe this is just the beginning: padel will continue to grow in popularity and significance”. As a great racket veteran, Sainz knows that she has become a reference point for young players: “I feel that time is passing and the years are adding up” she says, smiling, “but I know that the new generation has a lot of talent, there are good players and also good people”.

In addition to the battles on the court, there is an equally important one that Lucia is pursuing: “In the FIP circuit we have equal prize money, and it is something that we hope will become a rule everywhere. We know that it’s not easy and that in other sports it doesn’t work that way, and it’s nice that padel is one of the ones leading the way in this regard. As president of the IPPA (International Padel Players Association) we are very much aiming for this step forward”. As far as FIP Platinum Sardegna is concerned, there are two goals: “First I want to consolidate the feeling with Patty, to play with her to get to know each other better since we have only been partnering for four weeks. After that, my primary goal is always to win and it would be nice to meet in the finals the number 1 players in the tournament, Maria Virginia Riera and Tamara Icardo”.