Julia Giusti Gomes, the ‘baby’ talent lighting up Doha

She started playing when she was nine, alongside her father, who is also a player and padel enthusiast. Just six years later, Julia Giusti Gomes won her first match at the FIP World Padel Championships in Qatar, in a decisive match for Brazil‘s future in the tournament. It’s an impressive journey for the prodigy from Pelotas, the youngest participant at the World Championships in Doha. Just over a month after her fifteenth birthday — celebrated on September 16 — Julia Giusti Gomes, teamed with Alessandra Abbud De Barros, defeated the Chilean pair Araneda Curtze/Tajimuch Poblete (6-2 6-4), securing the first point for the green-and-yellows in the tie that decided their spot in the quarterfinals. It’s an incredible achievement for a girl who, after the match, described the wonder of being in Doha: “I can’t believe I’m able to sit down for lunch and dinner with champions like Delfi Brea, Ale Salazar, and Martita Ortega, who I admire so much, and to greet them whenever I see them at the venue”. Wednesday’s great result also turned around a challenging start in Group A, with Julia facing the unstoppable Spain and the phenomenal pair of Paula Josemaria and Bea Gonzalez. Even in that case, however, Julia found a reason to be happy: “We had the privilege of playing against two of the best players in the world”, she wrote on Instagram after the match with the Spanish team. “Happy about everything that sport can bring to our lives!”

Talent and a lighthearted spirit have been the keys to the rapid rise of this young girl who, at just 10 years old, was already competing in tournaments. Her first appearance in the Panamerican Padel Games dates back to 2022, followed in 2023 by the Junior World Championships in Asuncion, where — she proudly recalls — she managed to beat a Spanish pair. In September, she returned to the Panamerican Games in Mexico, earning third place with Brazil. “The World Championships are another big goal”, she said after the win against Chile. “But I’m already thinking about next year: I want to play more in FIP tournaments and represent my country in both junior and senior national championships. And I dream of playing one day in the Premier Padel circuit”. It’s an adventure still to be lived, with the support of her visibly emotional parents and her younger brother, who is also in Doha: “Having them here with me is very important because they cheer, share my excitement, and give me strength”. Equally important is the work of those who train her daily on the court. Among her key figures is coach Fabricio Bareño, but above all — with a magical overlap of roles — her coach Gabriela Menna Barreto, who is also part of the Brazilian team in Doha and is “one of my favorite players”. An admiration reciprocated by “Gabi”: “Since she started training with me, she has always worked very hard, with a strong desire to learn”, says the coach. “She was different from other children I had trained before, and she still is. She always aims for something bigger, and I believe that her family also makes a big difference. They are very present, giving her a lot of support and encouragement. For all these reasons, we believe Julia is Brazil’s next great talent”.