Abidjan, Castro and Luján target a second title in Ivory Coast

Padel returns to Africa with the FIP Silver in Abidjan, which once again welcomes two players who were crowned in Ivory Coast last year: Boris Castro and Laura Luján. Castro, winner of the FIP Bronze in May 2025, will partner Juan Cruz Belluati, who is seeking a first CUPRA FIP Tour title since 2022. In the women’s draw, defending FIP Silver champion Luján will team up with Leti Manquillo, who arrives following last week’s victory at the FIP Silver in Caltanissetta. The tournament will take place in a country that is establishing itself as one of the emerging padel markets in Africa, with more than 20,000 amateur players.

 

Leading the men’s draw are Iñigo Jofre and David Gala, with the latter returning to the circuit after his title at the FIP Silver in Dubai last October and a strong start to the season on the Premier Padel Tour, reaching the round of 16 at both the P2 in Gijón and the P1 in Miami. The top seeds could face Castro-Belluati in a potential semi-final. In the bottom half are Jose Luis González and Antonio “Pincho” Fernandez (2), winners this year of the FIP Bronze in Mallorca, and the pair Alberto García and Christian Medina Murphy (4).

 

In the women’s main draw, the leading contenders for the title are Julieta Bidahorria and Marta Caparrós (1), ranked No. 42 and No. 31 in the FIP Ranking respectively. Other pairs to watch include the No. 2 seeds Alix Collombon (34) and Jana Montes (54), as well as Luján-Manquillo (3). Following a strong start to the 2026 season with two titles on the CUPRA FIP Tour (the FIP Bronze and Silver in Melbourne), Nerea Guerra and Carla Fernandez will also aim for success in this tournament.