The draws. All the world’s best players in France

From Spain to France, from Valladolid to Bordeaux, from Plaza Mayor to Patinoire de Mériadeck. The Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour returns to France for the first of two tournaments scheduled for 2025 (the other will be the Major at Roland Garros). All the best players in the world will be there, with Coki Nieto, Jon Sanz, Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez defending the title they won in 2024, when the tournament was also played indoor, but at the Arkéa Arena.

MEN There are 32 pairs in the men’s draw, with Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia starting against Juan Cruz Belluati and Pablo Lijo. For Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan, seeded number 2, their debut will be against Inigo Jofre and Alex Arroyo; a qualified pair for Franco Stupaczuk and Juan Lebron, drawn in the bottom half (the same as Chingotto and Galan, as in Valladolid), while Coki Nieto (who is playing in Bordeaux with a different partner than a year ago, Mike Yanguas) has drawn French wild cards Guichard and Joris, with the chance of challenging Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal again in the round of 16. Potential quarter-finals: Coello/Tapia (1)-Gonzalez/Sanz (5), Bergamini/Navarro (6)-Nieto/Yanguas (4), Stupaczuk/Lebron (3)-Di Nenno/Tello (7), Cardona/Augsburger (8)-Chingotto/Galan (2).

WOMEN There are 24 pairs in the women’s draw, with Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez seeded number 1 and, like the other seven, already admitted to the round of 16 thanks to a bye. Sharifova/Rodriguez or a qualified pair for Paula and Ari; on the other side, wild cards Godallier and Lujan or Caldera/Goenaga for Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay (2). The other French player, Alix Collombon, with Spanish Araceli Martinez, could find Andrea Ustero and Sofia Araujo (4), while Bea Gonzalez and Claudia Fernandez (3) could face Martinez/Marrero or Riera/Eugenio. Possible quarter-finals: Josemaria/Sanchez (1)-Alonso/Jensen (7), Ortega/Icardo (5)-Araujo/Ustero (4), Gonzalez/Fernandez (3)-Sainz/Llaguno (8), Salazar/Virseda (6)-Brea/Triay (2).