The favourites lifted the trophies at the SunBet Arena, but the victories of Delfi Brea, Gemma Triay, Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan do not overshadow the remarkable week enjoyed by Claudia Fernandez, Martina Calvo, Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero. Playing their first tournament together, Fernandez and Calvo served for the title in the third set at 30-15, while Leal and Guerrero even held a championship point in the deciding-set tiebreak. In the end, however, it was the top seeds in the women’s draw, who claimed their second consecutive title after Malaga, and the men’s number two seeds, who celebrated their first title since Buenos Aires, that triumphed in Premier Padel’s first-ever tournament in South Africa.
WOMEN Lasting two hours and 53 minutes and ending 6-2 6-7 7-6 in favour of Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay, the women’s final delivered drama, balance and excitement from start to finish. When Fernandez and Calvo were broken at 5-4 in the second set, the title appeared to be slipping away, but the top seeds twice failed to serve out the match, allowing the young Spaniards to force a deciding set by winning the tiebreak. Fernandez and Calvo then moved a break ahead in the third and came within two points of the title, but the decisive tiebreak – sealed 7-4 after a volley error from Calvo – crowned Delfi and Gemma, who lifted their fifth title of the 2026 season. “It was a pleasure to play here”, said Brea. “It’s a beautiful city and the crowd has been incredible. We’re delighted to have won after giving everything against such a young and talented pair”. “We won thanks to our mentality”, added Triay. “We stayed focused on the present, even during the toughest moments of the match. Congratulations to Claudia and Martina: from now on, we’ll always have to give our very best to beat them. They showed all their quality today”.
MEN After stunning victories over the third and first seeds, Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal were finally stopped by Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan, who prevailed 6-2 5-7 7-6 to claim their sixth title of the season and their first since May. The final seemed under control after the ‘Chingalan’ dominated the opening set 6-2, but Guerrero and Leal fought back with a late break in the second. Another break at 5-4 in the third looked set to decide the match in favour of the second seeds, yet the seventh seeds immediately broke back and forced a dramatic tiebreak, where they even earned a championship point at 7-6. The decisive surge, however, belonged to Chingotto and Galan. “It has been a very tough week, and probably not my best tournament” – said Galan. “I have to thank Fede for carrying me to this victory. Thanks also to all the fans in Pretoria. Now it’s time to fly to London”. “Our heart made the difference in the key moments –added Chingotto. We’re extremely happy because Fran and Javi played an outstanding tournament. Matches like this show that, if you keep fighting, the results will come”.
There is barely time to celebrate the Pretoria P1 before the next stop on the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour. The world’s best players are already boarding a plane bound for London.