Salazar grants Lamas Rodriguez a Dream: the legend to team up with a talent aged 14 years and 11 months in Alicante

ROME –  A dream weekend ahead. NextGen star Carlota Lamas Rodriguez, 14 years and 11 months old, is set to enjoy a unique experience: at the FIP Bronze Sportclub Alicante, she will play alongside Spanish legend Ale Salazar, a former world No. 1. For the young player, it will be an opportunity to learn from the player who, together with Gemma Triay, has won more titles than anyone else in women padel history (58). Despite her young age, Lamas Rodriguez is not the youngest player in history to compete on the CUPRA FIP Tour.

 

“A dream come true – Lamas Rodriguez wrote on social media when announcing the news. – Ale is someone I care about deeply, and for whom I have even greater admiration and respect. There are dreams that, when you are young, seem too big to ever achieve. But sometimes life surprises you, rewards you and shows you that some dreams really can come true. I don’t know how the tournament will go, but I do know one thing: I will give it my all, I will try to learn everything I can and, above all, I will enjoy every moment. From the moment I get in the car to go to the tournament until we shake hands after the final match. Because I know that, whatever happens, it will be a memory I will carry with me forever. I love you, legend!”. Salazar and Rodriguez are the No. 1 seeds. Next in terms of FIP ranking points are the pairs of Ana Dominguez-Sandra Bellver (2), Aida Martinez-Nati Lopez (3) and Carlotta Casali-Margherita Aima (4).

 

Mario Ortega and Victor Ruiz, No. 47 in the FIP Ranking, headline the men’s draw. Both are aiming to lift their first champions’ trophy at a CUPRA FIP Tour event. Last April, Ruiz came close to victory at the FIP Silver in Nola, where he played alongside Argentine legend Sanyo Gutierrez: they lost the final to Alex Chozas and Tino Libaak. Also in the spotlight alongside the No. 1 seeds in the top half of the draw are Samu Rivas-Luis Oliver Artigas (3). In the opposite half, the pairs of Ignacio Sager-Salva Oria (2) and Pablo Reina-Marcel Font (4) will be ones to watch.

 

The main draw of the tournament will begin on Friday 18 September and conclude on Sunday 20 September, when the finals will be played.