Belgrade, Stupaczuk and Sanz triumph: they will be the number 4 seeds in Paris. Glory also for Rufo-Iglesias

In the FIP Gold Belgrade final, more than just the title and 150 FIP Ranking points were at stake. There was also the hugely important status of fourth seeds at the next Premier Padel tournaments, starting with the Paris Major, which will take place one week after the Madrid P1 that gets under way tomorrow. Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz, who began their partnership in Serbia, defeated their former partners Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas 6-3 7-5, retaining the number 4 next to their names. This will allow them to avoid the world’s strongest pairs until at least the semi-finals. For Stupaczuk, it is his second title on the CUPRA FIP Tour in 2026, following his victory at the FIP Platinum in Tirana.

 

“For our first tournament together, we had some very good feelings – said Stupaczuk –. We knew our opponents very well, and I’m very happy with the understanding we have developed”. Sanz added: “I’m really happy with the victory. We also had a great time in Belgrade: we enjoyed the city and hope to come back in the future”.

 

Stupaczuk and Sanz were not the only winners: the FIP Gold Belgrade also crowned Lorena Rufo and Victoria Iglesias, who came from a set down to beat Ale Salazar and Aranzazu Osoro in the women’s final. The number 2 seeds lifted the trophy after winning 4-6 6-3 6-1, also collecting 150 FIP Ranking points. For Rufo, it is her second title after winning the FIP Silver in London, while Iglesias had already triumphed at the FIP Gold in Almaty, Kazakhstan. “It was a very tough tournament – said Iglesias –. We helped each other a lot to achieve this result”. Rufo added: “I dedicate this victory to my whole family, who have followed me throughout. We are really happy to have won this title, which gives us a lot of confidence for the next tournaments”.