London P1 women’s tournament: a tale of two pairings
In the women’s draw, there is no one dominant pairing, however, there has only been one final so far this year which has not featured one of the top two seeds contesting for the title.
So, one or both of the top two seeds should be competing to be the Queens of London at the end of the week. Will it be the number 1 seeds Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea or their nearest rivals and second seeds Bea Gonzalez and Paula Josemaria? The two pairs have gone head-to-head in seven finals this year with Gonzalez and Josemaria leading 5-2.
If you think that makes it easy to pick a winner, think again.
The women’s game certainly has more unpredictability and genuine contenders than the men’s game.
Take the recent tournament in Valencia, which was the one ‘anomaly’ to this season as the Spanish pairing of Ari Sanchez and Andrea Ustero took their second title of the season with victory over Claudia Fernandez and Sofia Araujo.
Fast forward a couple of weeks to Bordeaux P2 and there was an even bigger shock as Claudia Jensen & Tamara Icardo (this week’s fifth seeds) claimed their first title with a surprise victory over Triay and Brea.
Nothing is cut and dried, but with four titles under their belt this season, Triay and Brea will still feel they are the ones to beat.
Triay, who plays on the left, is acknowledged as one of the most decorated players in the sport. She took up at 19 after an injury halted her professional tennis ambitions and since then the 34-year-old has been a multiple world champion with Spain, secured the No 1 spot three times and has also accrued 20 Premier Padel titles.
Her playing partner, the popular 26-year-old Brea, partnered with Triay in early 2025 and it took just three events for the pair to claim the first of nine titles last year with four more this year.
The Argentine – the only one in the top 10 FIP rankings and the first to top the rankings in more than a decade – is known for her aggressive play style, quick transitions from defence to attack, and signature viboras and deep volleys.
Equally optimistic of adding to their trophy haul will be the in-form Gonzalez and Josemaria.
The all-Spanish duo are having an incredible first season together with six titles so far.
Gonzalez is acknowledged as one of the most talented players on the circuit and competed in her first tournament aged 14 (10 years ago now). At 18 she became the youngest player to win a tournament and now has 19 titles to her name.
Extremely agile on court, she patrols the left hand side, has a lethal bandeja and is known for delicate and deadly dropshots.
She dovetails with Josemaria, who has chalked up 23 titles, and is nicknamed ‘dinamita’. The left-hander who plays on the right, uses this to her full advantage with smashes and volleys. The 29-year-old, who has a biochemistry degree, is also known for an aggressive style of play.
The other genuine contenders in London are third seeds, Sanchez and Ustero.
Sanchez is a former number one and had a superb partnership with Josemaria until they emotionally decided to end their four-year partnership at the end of 2025.
Known for her intelligence on court as a very tactical player, Sanchez is very patient and is willing to contest long rallies before going on the attack.
Now, 29-year-old ‘Magic Ari’ is nurturing one of the new stars of women’s padel in 19-year-old Ustero. They have already reached five finals this season, winning two.
The young left-hander turned professional in 2023 and a year later became the youngest player to reach a Premier Padel Major final when paired with Delfi Brea.
She is a great counterfoil to ‘Ari’, as Ustero is fast and aggressive and possesses a lethal smash. Playing on the right also gives the left-hander an edge over her rivals.
As they have shown this season, they are more than capable of upsetting the odds.
One other player to look out for this week is Martina Calvo, currently ranked 12th, and one of the hottest prospects in the game.
The Pamplona-born player, only just 18, has risen quickly through the ranks with a string of eye-catching performances since making her debut in 2024 and is considered Spain’s newest padel superstar.
In 2025, partnering padel legend Alejandra Salazar, Calvo became the youngest player to reach a Premier Padel final – NewGiza P2. In the same year she also became a European champion after receiving a call-up to the Spanish national team.
In London, Calvo will partner 20-year-old Claudia Fernandez (ranked sixth), with the pair formally announcing their new partnership two weeks ago.
This youthful duo are considered future number ones and could well spring a surprise this week. 🎾
