FIP European Padel Championships, Italy with the Orsi effect. Spain, present and future. Araujo and Collombon hopes for Portugal and France

The Italian crowd that has filled the stands of TC Cagliari arrives full of enthusiasm for the FIP European Padel Championships: after triumphing in the FIP Platinum Sardegna, paired with Nuria Rodriguez, Carolina Orsi aims for a great result also wearing the National Team jersey. Host Italy against Spanish dominance: to help Orsi, there will be Giorgia Marchetti (gold medal at the European Games in Krakow together with Carolina), Chiara Pappacena, Carlotta Casali, Lorena Vano, new mom Giulia Sussarello, and also Emily Stellato and Martina Parmigiani. Spain, winner of nine of the 11 editions of the FIP European Padel Championships for women, has multiple generations within its team: from the super-experienced Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno – finalists in the Premier Padel P1 of Santiago and the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel – to ‘Martita’ Ortega and Jessica Castelló, winners of the P2 of Genoa and the P1 of Acapulco respectively. Completing the ‘super team’ are Lorena Rufo (number 20 in the FIP ranking) and Bea Caldera (22), winners of the OYSHO Valladolid FIP Gold, and the two young phenoms Ale Alonso (born in 2006) and Andrea Ustero (2007).

THE RIVALS  France (2019) and Portugal (2015) have been the only two national teams to interrupt the Spanish ‘domination.’ Les Bleues have Alix Collombon (number 29 in the FIP ranking) and Lea Godallier (60) as their spearheads; in Portugal, many hopes rest on Sofia Araujo (12), who has already won in Genoa in Italy paired with Ortega, and veterans Patri Ribeiro and Ana Catarina Nogueira. Also a veteran is Swedish Carolina Navarro Bjork, who was world number 1 for nine years. There are many players who have stood out in the CUPRA FIP Tour and who will be in Cagliari: from the Dutch Steffie Weterings, Marcella Koek, and Rosalie Van der Hoek (former number 83 in doubles in tennis) to Belgian Helena Wyckaert (also on the field her twin sister Elizabeth), and to the Germans Denise Hofer and Victoria Kurz and the British Aimee Gibson and Tia Norton. The women’s tournament will also be a lot of fun.