A confirmation and a first time win. Acapulco celebrated its rebirth after Hurricane Otis, Arturo Coello, Agustin Tapia, Jessica Castelló and Claudia Jensen also celebrated their trophy in the GNP Mexico P1. If for Coello/Tapia it was the second title in a row on the Premier Padel circuit – the sixth overall counting last year’s four – for Castelló/Jensen it was their first.
MEN In a men’s final opened with a moment of silence for the death of Carles Prat, a journalist who reported on padel with passion and who passed away a few hours ago, Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia ruined the last dance of Juan Lebron and Ale Galan. A one-sided final for one set (6-0 in 17 minutes) and more balanced in the second, but closed 6-0 6-4 in 53 minutes. Coello and Tapia, therefore, line up their second title of 2024 after the Ooredoo Qatar Major in Doha. And if Tapia, in the post-match interview, wanted to remember Prat, “a man who has done so much for padel”, Coello announced that he will donate 10% of his prize money to the Todos Somos Acapulco foundation, also paying his respects to Lebron and Galan, who from the P2 in Puerto Cabello kicking off on Tuesday will no longer play together: “I have to thank them because playing against them made us better. Congratulations for what they did together and good luck for what they will do individually”.
WOMEN The women’s tournament was won by Jessica Castelló and Claudia Jensen, beating 6-3 6-4 Virginia Riera and Sofia Araujo in one hour and 47 minutes. The number 7 seed in the GNP Mexico P1 thus completed a fantastic week, which was also characterised by victories against the draw’s number 3 Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez in the quarters and against the number 2 Delfi Brea and Bea Gonzalez in the semifinals. The two players, after the match point, were speechless, before a long hug with their team and words of thanks for the Acapulco fans: “Thanks also to the organisation for making a fantastic tournament in such a short time”, said Castelló, later quoting a phrase spoken by her father: “You don’t have to play finals well, you have to win them. And so it was”. Jensen, on the other hand, at not even 19 years old, became the champion of a Premier Padel tournament: “It was our first final. We entered the court a bit nervous but then we brought out our best”.
Between the women’s and women’s finals, the Mexican Padel Federation (FEMEPA) in the person of President Jorge Mañe, paid tribute to the family of Enrique Corcuera, the inventor of padel. Padel was reborn in Acapulco a few months after Hurricane Otis and will return to Acapulco in November, for the last Major of the season.