Santino Contreras, a dream season at 16 years old: fifth CUPRA FIP Tour victory comes in Chile

Consistency, talent, victories and a desire to improve: this is how the season of 16-year-old Argentine Santino Contreras can be summed up. 2026 is proving to be the year of his rise. Last weekend, the NextGen talent of world padel was crowned champion at the FIP Bronze Castro (Chile) alongside compatriot Francisco Maier. This, however, was not his only success of the season: Contreras had already won four titles on the CUPRA FIP Tour. At the beginning of March, he claimed the first title of his career on the circuit by winning the Brazilian FIP Bronze in Santa Maria. This was followed by victories at the FIP Bronze events in Lanzarote (Spain) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), and at the FIP Silver in Camboriu (Brazil). Another significant moment in his career came in May, when he made his Premier Padel debut at the Buenos Aires P1, becoming the second-youngest player ever to compete on the circuit (the record belongs to Facundo Dehnike, who played the Asuncion P2 in 2024 at the age of 15 years and 8 months). On that occasion, partnering Naim Diaz, he lost to the pair formed by legend Sanyo Gutierrez and Spain’s Victor Ruiz in the round of 32.

In addition to his strength on court, Contreras has also stood out for his humanity. At the end of the FIP Bronze in Lanzarote last June, he dedicated the tournament victory to someone special: “This is for you, Grandpa, who recently celebrated your birthday. A hug to you up there in heaven.”