Doha [Qatar], November 9: Spain swept both the men's and women's titles at the Padel World Cup on Saturday, defeating arch-rivals Argentina in the finals to cap a memorable day at the Khalifa Tennis Complex and underline their dominance on the international stage.
The Spanish men's team reclaimed the FIP World Cup trophy for the first time in four years, overcoming Argentina 2-1 in a gripping final that went down to the deciding third match.
The triumph secured Spain's fifth men's world title, adding to their previous successes in 1998, 2008, 2010 and 2021. It also ended Argentina's hold on the crown, with the South American side having won the previous two editions. Argentina remain the most successful nation in the competition's history with 12 titles.
Spain made a strong start to the final as Aimar Goni and Juan Lebron recovered from a set down to beat Martín Di Nenno and Leo Augsburger 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, giving their team the opening point.
Argentina responded in emphatic fashion, however, as Agustin Tapia and Federico Chingotto produced a dominant performance to defeat Paquito Navarro and Jon Sanz 6-1, 6-2 and level the tie at 1-1.
With the championship resting on the final match, Arturo Coello and Coki Nieto rose to the occasion, defeating Gonzalo Alfonso and Tino Libaak 6-3, 6-2 to seal the title for Spain.
The men's celebrations followed an equally impressive performance by the Spanish women's team, who had secured their 10th world title earlier in the day with a 2-0 victory over Argentina.
The win extended Spain's remarkable run to seven consecutive women's world championships, further cementing their status as the leading force in the women's game. Ariana Sanchez and Andrea Ustero put Spain ahead with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Aranzazu Osoro and Martina Fassio in the opening match.
The result was particularly special for Ustero, who was making her World Championship debut. The young player was visibly emotional after helping Spain take the first step towards another world title.
The second match delivered a much tougher contest, with Gemma Triay and Paula Josemaría pushed to their limits by Delfi Brea and Claudia Jensen.
After two hours and 38 minutes of intense action, the Spanish pair eventually prevailed 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 to complete the victory and secure another championship for their country.
Despite Argentina's determined resistance, Spain's experience and quality proved decisive in both finals.The double triumph provided a fitting climax to the competition in Doha, with Spain once again demonstrating the depth of talent and strength of its padel programme across both the men's and women's categories.
Source: Qatar Tribune
