In Porto, a growing NextGen follows in the footsteps of the champions

From junior competitions to the biggest stages in world Padel. The journey of the NextGen is shaped by the stories of boys and girls who, having started at a very young age, have turned passion and talent into careers at the highest level of the world tours. That journey continues with the 2026 FIP Junior Euro Padel Cup in Porto, where a new generation is ready to take to the court and follow in the footsteps of the sport’s greatest players.

 

The roll of honour of the Junior European and World Championships offers a clear reflection of today’s rankings: from Ari Sanchez to Marta Ortega, from Juan Lebron to Martin Di Nenno, alongside Franco Stupaczuk, Paquito Navarro and Alex Ruiz — just some of the top players who began in junior competitions and went on to shape modern Padel.

 

The latest generation is no exception, with players already knocking on the door of the world elite: among them Andrea Ustero, Martina Calvo, Ale Alonso, Curro Cabeza, Manuel Castaño, David Gala, Pol Hernandez and Guille Collado. Also included are Claudia Jensen, Jana Montes and Raquel Eugenio. For many of them, these tournaments represented a crucial step: a prestigious meeting point for peers who, despite coming from different countries, share the same path of sporting and technical development within an environment that accelerates progress and narrows distances.

 

The most significant aspect is that, as Padel continues to globalise, the geography of talent is expanding as well. As a result, beyond Spain and Argentina, the NextGen of junior competitions is also emerging elsewhere. Italy has found its trailblazer in Giulia Dal Pozzo, a semi-finalist at Italy Major and the Valladolid P2, alongside Flavio Abbate and the rising Matilde Minelli. Sweden responds with Adam Axelsson and Willy Slaryd, bringing fresh qualities and physical presence to the European scene; France celebrates Louise Bahurel, runner-up at the European Championships with the senior national team, while the Netherlands looks to Thijs De Kroon. Beyond Europe, the signs are equally encouraging: Facundo Dehnike, a 17-year-old from Paraguay, and Diego Arredondo, an 18-year-old from Mexico, demonstrate how the talent pool continues to broaden, with new talents from Asia and Africa still to come.

 

This is why the FIP Junior Euro Padel Cup — together with the other continental junior tournaments — represents a key pillar in FIP’s vision for building the Padel of tomorrow. Some of the boys and girls competing in Porto will become top players, others will take their countries into competitive territory never explored before, and some will continue to play purely for passion, but all of them will contribute to making this sport ever more global and ever deeper.