Casablanca title race begins: Ferreyra-Minelli in the spotlight

A young pairing is ready to make its mark in Morocco. Maria Laura Ferreyra, 21 years old, and Matilde Minelli, 17 years old, have one objective this week: to win the FIP Bronze Shell Casablanca, where they are the No. 2 seeds. Argentina’s Ferreyra, No. 85 in the FIP Ranking, has already triumphed on the CUPRA FIP Tour, winning the FIP Bronze events in Alessandria, Egypt, and Burriana, Spain, in 2026 alone. In recent months, Ferreyra has also achieved strong results on the Premier Padel circuit, reaching the round of 32 at the Rome Major and the Bordeaux P2. For Minelli, meanwhile, a possible triumph would be her first on the CUPRA FIP Tour. The 2009-born player came close to winning the title at the FIP Bronze Manama in November 2025, where, playing alongside compatriot Giorgia Rosi, she lost the final to Alba Perez and a player who will also compete in Casablanca: Aimee Gibson, who alongside Eugenia Guimet forms the highest-ranked pairing in the tournament. Also among the entries are Claudia Ordoñez and Daniela Portilla, both born in 2009, as well as the pairing of Natalia Molinilla and Ana Cristina Sanchez. Six home players will also compete in the main draw.

 

Pablo Landáburu and Luis Oliver Artigas lead the men’s draw. The pair became FIP Bronze Kuala Lumpur champions in April. In July, Landáburu won the FIP Bronze Jakarta alongside Kevin Kviatkovski. Their objective is to win again, but to lift the champions’ trophy they will have to overcome the other competitive pairings. Among them are Pablo Reina-Marcel Font (2). In 2026, the former has won three CUPRA FIP Tour events: the FIP Bronze Yogyakarta and Hong Kong I and II. Font, meanwhile, 19, is still seeking his first career victory on the circuit. Also among the pairings to watch in Casablanca are Miguel Morales-Alejandro Garcia (3) and home player Mahmoud Menjra, who will take to the court alongside Alberto Garcia (No. 4 seeds).

 

The main draw will begin on Friday 11 September and conclude on Sunday 13 September, when the semi-finals and finals will be played.