GNP Mexico P1, padel reborn in Acapulco. After the hurricane, all the best are there

After Hurricane Otis, which had cancelled the tournament scheduled to take place in November, padel is back to life in Acapulco, in the city where this sport was born. An extraordinary effort by the Mexican Padel federation and the tournament organisation to revive the arena hosting the GNP Mexico P1, the third event of a season that began with the Riyadh Season P1 and continued in Doha with the Oooredoo Qatar Major. The professional Premier Padel circuit from this year unified – as the FIP ranking – therefore moves to Central America and, next week, to the South with the P2 in Puerto Cabello (Venezuela), in a phase of the season with some changes in the pairs, especially at men’s level, after there had already been some changes between Riyadh and Doha in women’s draw. The qualifications are underway and will end today: from Tuesday to Sunday the main draw, drawn in these hours.

MEN The one in Acapulco will be the last dance for Juan Lebron and Ale Galan, who have decided to part their ways since Puerto Cabello but will try to write one last chapter of a glorious story in Mexico. The Spaniards, winners in Riyadh, will be the number 2 seed and will debut in the second round (like all the top 16 pairs on the draw) against Marcos/Alba or Bautista/Munoz. Leading the entry list are Arturo Coello (back to the top of the FIP ranking) and Agustin Tapia, with ‘Arturito’ having already won a Premier in Mexico, in Monterrey in 2022 paired with Fernando Belasteguin. Coello and Tapia have been drawn against either Valdes/Mendez or Ramirez/Garcia, in the same half of the draw as Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutierrez, who are also about to play with new teammates from upcoming tournaments. The ‘Superpibes’ Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno are in the bottom half with Lebron/Galan, as are the big surprises of the Doha Major Mike Yanguas and Javi Garrido, who have moved up some places in the FIP ranking and are now seeded number 7. In the quarters, a new clash with Juan and Ale is possible, as happened in Doha.

WOMEN Men’s draw of 48 pairs, women’s draw of 32, with the best pairs in the world who, as in Riyadh, will debut in the first round. Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaria, the dominators of the start of the season, have been drawn against Lara Arruabarrena (Spa) and Carlotta Casali (Ita) while, at the bottom, the number 2 seed will again be Delfi Brea and Bea Gonzalez, who will debut against Borrero/Fassio. Completing the podium of the entry list are Doha finalists Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez, in the bottom half and with a first-round match against Barrera/Caparros. In Acapulco, Julieta Bidahorria is celebrating her return to the court after a break due to injury: the Argentine, paired with French Alix Collombon, will face Alejandra Salazar and Tamara Icardo (5) in the first round, in what is the most interesting challenge of the first round of the GNP Mexico P1.