Caen, Collombon’s joy: “Winning at home is fantastic”

The long applause from the crowd, in a packed Padelshot Mondeville, was the best possible reward for Alix Collombon at the end of her first tournament of 2026. At the FIP Silver Caen, the French No. 1 — European vice-champion with the national team and No. 34 in the FIP ranking — claimed a hugely important home victory and returned to winning ways on the CUPRA FIP Tour a year and a half after her success at the FIP Gold Saltillo. Playing alongside Spain’s Jana Montes (56), Collombon defeated Aida Martinez and Anna Ortiz in the final (6–2 7–6), closing out the match in a tie-break after the Spanish pair had come close to levelling the score several times. “A win is always good for confidence, and even more so when it comes at home”, Alix said after the match. “There was an amazing crowd for these finals, a fantastic atmosphere that clearly helped us win. Thanks to everyone for the support. Jana, you’re great, let’s keep growing together”. “It’s a great way to start the season. Big battle, Alix, you’re really strong”, Montes added. The pair now have a week of training ahead before returning to competition at the FIP Platinum Marseille, where they will be seeded No. 8 in the women’s main draw.

NEXTGEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT In the men’s draw, Marc Sintes and Dani Santigosa stood out as one of the NextGen pairs to watch this season. The 19-year-old from Mahón and the 21-year-old from Madrid beat Álvaro Cepero and Arnau Ayats in the final (6–4, 6–3), finishing the tournament without dropping a single set. For Sintes, it was his fifth title on the CUPRA FIP Tour, while Santigosa — who will be back on court from Wednesday at the Hexagon Cup in Madrid with Team RL9 — moves up to nine career wins on the tour.