Portugal, Alfonso and Barahona target victory in Leiria

A strong field will be on show in Portugal for the FIP Silver in Leiria, with 13 top-50 and 12 top-100 players in the FIP Ranking competing across both draws. The leading contenders for the men’s title are Javi Barahona (24) and Gonza Alfonso (32). This partnership was formed recently but, two weeks ago, they already reached the round of 16 at the Premier Padel P2 in Newgiza, Egypt. In 2026, Alfonso was also a semi-finalist at the P2 in Gijón alongside Sanyo Gutierrez. The main challengers to the No. 1 seeds are José Antonio Diestro (31) and Maxi Sánchez Blasco (41), who arrive in Portugal after reaching the round of 16 at the P2 events in Brussels and Newgiza. Another competitive pairing is that of Aris Patiniotis (70) and Javi Martínez (53). Also competing in Leiria is Pablo Lijó (43), finalist at the FIP Gold in Almaty, who will partner Pablo García (39). Among the other pairs entered are Portugal’s Pedro Perry and Nuno Deus, and the brothers Pedro and Álvaro Mélendez.

Leading the women’s draw are Carolina Orsi (29) and Patti Llaguno (22), who reached the round of 16 at the P2 in Brussels last week. The No. 1 seeds are placed in the top half of the main draw alongside the pair formed by home player Ana Nogueira (45) and Laura Luján (49), winner of the FIP Bronze in Eidsvoll. In the bottom half of the draw are Julieta Bidahorria (39) and Marta Caparros (31), champions earlier this month at the FIP Silver in Abidjan, held in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Bárbara Las Heras and Carla Mesa. Another pair with ambitions of success is Manuela Schuck and Aitana Garcia: the former won the FIP Bronze in Ijuí, Brazil, in April, while the latter is seeking her first title of the season on the CUPRA FIP Tour.