CHAMPIONS. AGUSTIN TAPIA AND ARTURO COELLO
Light week, light work for the reigning Italy Major, Madrid, Mendoza, Roland Garros – and now – Ooredoo Qatar Major champions. Since first joining forces after last year’s Doha Major, Tapia and Coello have captured 5 titles in 6 Finals, including 3 Majors. Insane. This week, following a 1st-Round BYE, they strolled into the Round of 16 with a walkover; then steamrolled the rest of the field. Not a single one of their matches reached the 1-hour mark, including the Final – where they dispatched Garrido and Yanguas in 53-minutes. They are clearly the new Galan and Lebron – who this week decided to shelve their wildly successful four-year partnership after another disappointing week in Doha.
FINALISTS. JAVIER GARRIDO AND MIGUEL YANGUAS
Breakthrough week for Javi and Mike, who conquered two mountains this week in Doha. In the Round of 16, they came back from a set down to defeat World #1’s Ale Galan and Juan Lebron. Then, in the Semifinals, they took-out defending champions Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno in straight-sets. Disappointing Final, for sure. But in just their second Premier Padel event together, they proved to themselves they have the swagger required to go toe-to-toe with the sport’s top tandems.
HEXAGON QATAR, MASTERS OF CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATIONS
CHAMPIONS. ARIANA SANCHEZ AND PAULA JOSEMARIA
The World #1’s continue collecting of all Premier Padel’s points and prize money. Last year, they reached the Final of the Women’s debut-Major in Rome, then captured the Paris Major at Roland Garros. Now the first-ever women’s champions at the Ooredoo Qatar Major, the tandem is (26-3) since the ladies joined the Premier Padel Tour last July. Ari and Paula are setting the stage for a Tapia/Coella type of season. They’re a perfect (10-0) in 2024. Last week, they captured the title at the season opener in Riyadh before storming into Doha.
FINALISTS. CLAUDIA FERNANDEZ AND GEMMA TRIAY
Great story. Claudia Fernandez is only 18-years-old. After this week’s run to her first Major final, she’ll likely crack the top-20 when Premier Padel reveals the new rankings next week. Meanwhile, her veteran partner Gemma Triay continues to set the standard for excellence in the sport. Last year, Gemma teamed with Marta Ortega to capture the ladies’ first Major in Rome. After a run to the Roland Garros Final, and a Finalist finish here in Doha – she is clearly one of the most consistent top-3 talents in Padel, regardless of partner.
WHAT IS PREMIER PADEL?
For decades, the International Padel Federation (FIP) has been the governing body of the sport. However, privately-owned tours – mainly in Europe and South America – staged the majority of income-generating tournaments for professional talents. While grateful for the opportunity to earn a living, the players had little influence over the tours, their payouts, and often found their individual seasons dictated by sponsors.
Then – for the first time – in 2021 the FIP staged the World Padel Championship outside of Europe or the Americas. Padel’s popularity had recently exploded in the Middle East – and the Qatar Tennis Federation, under the direction of Paris St. Germain owner Nasser Bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi, won the bid. Following the event’s highly successful Asian debut, Khelaifi financed the launch of FIP’s newest endeavor: The Premier Padel Tour.
Working alongside the player’s association, FIP established an eight tournament tour built for growth – and in 2023, the sport exploded. That year, Premier Padel acquired the World Padel Tour, bringing all the players under one umbrella. Today, the Tour stages 25 tournaments in 18 countries, spanning 5 continents. Like tennis, there are four “Majors,” offering players the richest prize pool and points. Additionally, there are ten P1 (Premier One) events, ten P2 (Premier Two) events, and the year-end Tour Finals staged in Barcelona. As the sport continues to blossom, Premier Padel will add even more events to the calendar.
Major Tournaments include Qatar, Italy, Paris (Roland Garros), Mexico. P1 Tournaments include Riyadh, Acapulco, Argentina, Andalusia, Madrid, Rotterdam, New Giza, Dubai, Kuwait City, Milan. P2 Tournaments include Puerto Cabello, Brussels, Andalusia, Asuncion, Santiago, Bordeaux, Genova, Finland, Dusseldorf, Sweden.
CENTER COURT RECAPS | COMPLETE RESULTS (ALL COURTS MEN) | COMPLETE RESULTS (ALL COURTS WOMEN)
ANDY TAYLOR'S 11TH SEASON WITH THE QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION
Since the 2011 Doha Arab Games, announcer Andy Taylor has been a fixture with the QTF. From the Qatar TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Open – to the Qatar Classic Squash Championship, the PSA Men’s World Championship, World Padel Championship, and Ooredoo Qatar Major.
For over a decade, he has regularly returned to this gleaming city on the Arabian Gulf; working closely with the Qatar Tennis Federation to showcase world-renowned athletes in professional tennis, squash and Padel. In the sports community, announcer Andy Taylor is known best as the Voice of the US Open; where his sound has anchored the presentation inside New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium for 22 consecutive years.
A versatile host, emcee and Stadium Announcer – with his individual style and delivery, Andy writes and narrates every player’s introduction, celebrating their career accomplishments, providing context for fans before each match. Afterwards, he interviews the victors, providing fans and international broadcasters further insight on each player’s performance and career. Additionally, as a voice talent, announcer Andy Taylor narrates video content used in the stadium and at special events throughout the tournament.
Very excited to get the chance to play a role in the sport's latest endeavor, the Premier Padel Tour. The International Padel Federation (FIP), the athletes of the Player Padel Association (PPA), and Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) continue to construct a solid, equitable foundation for the future of the game - while simulaneously growing the fan-base, staging events on five continents.
No longer Spain and Argentina's best-kept secret, Padel is set-up for significant growth. I'm mostly excited for the athletes, especially after getting to know several of these grounded, competitive, down-to-earth talents who've chosen to pursue a career of partnerships inside the glass. Here's to the future of the game.