The triumph of ‘Sweet Caroline’ Navarro through the words of her players: “She is unique, we are an incredible team, and that’s why we have been winning for so long”

From the celebrations to the tune of Neil Diamond’s song dedicated to captain Carolina Navarro to the emotions of the final against Argentina. La Roja celebrate their seventh consecutive title in Doha: “Everyone made their contribution”

 

DOHA – “Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good”. Neil Diamond’s chorus rings out once again at Spain’s finest moment. Throughout the week in Doha, the chant dedicated to Carolina Navarro has been the Spanish women’s team’s anthem, sung by the players as a sign of affection for their captain. After their World Cup triumph, her teammates could not miss the chance to celebrate her once again before sharing their thoughts and emotions. “We have been winning the World Cup for many years now”,said Gemma Triay. “This shows that a great job is being done in Spain. Just look at the team we have today: it is a very young squad with a bright future ahead”. Then, joking about her own experience, she added: “I am the veteran, and I don’t have much longer left. But I am very relaxed because there are some extraordinary, very young players here”.

 

The celebrations reflected a team that had found its balance even when faced with a final that was far from straightforward. Carolina Navarro herself explained how she approached the task of selecting the three pairs to take on Argentina. “It wasn’t easy at all. But I have to say that the girls made things much easier for me right from the start”. Her decisions were also supported by those who experienced the final from the bench. Martina Calvo, although she did not take to the court, played an important role in supporting her teammates: “For me, the reward was already being here, spending the whole week with these players and Carolina, and becoming world champion. It is something truly special”.

 

For Andrea Ustero, meanwhile, the final was a particularly emotional first experience. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t very nervous when I stepped onto the court. It was my first World Cup and my first final. I put pressure on myself, but I believe I have the best possible team behind me. They supported and encouraged me from the moment the line-up was announced”. Ari Sánchez also highlighted the importance of the team’s support: “We were all there for her from yesterday because we knew she would be nervous. It was a step she had to take, and she handled it brilliantly. She played an outstanding match.”

 

 

The tension that had built up over the previous days came pouring out at the end of the match, when Ustero could not hold back her tears. “I really needed to release all the tension I had been carrying since last night. It felt good to cry and let it all out”.The support of the Spanish fans, although smaller in number than Argentina’s noisy following, also made a difference. “For days I had been repeating a phrase that had become something of the motto of the week: ‘Let’s do our talking on the court’.The aim was not to match Argentina’s support, because that is impossible: they are one of the best fanbases in the world, if not the best. But we felt Spain very close to us.”

 

The final also brought a special challenge for Gemma Triay, who faced her Premier Padel partner Delfi Brea. “On court, of course, there is rivalry: we are both very competitive and each of us was fighting to represent her country. I think she played very well and made things really difficult for us. At the end, I told her she had played brilliantly”.The long embrace between the two after the match said the rest.

 

 

But if one image went beyond the result, it was that of a team that, over seven days, shared much more than just time on court. Paula Josemaría, visibly emotional, described it: “I look around and see extraordinary players. It has been a special week. Every week we are opponents on the tour, but here we have been very close, sharing every moment: breakfast, lunch, dinner and countless conversations”. She then paid a special tribute to Navarro: “I want to thank Carolina for choosing us and for everything she has done throughout the week. She has been a great captain. I already knew her very well off the court, but having her here with us has been a privilege”.