Rome crowns Sanchez/Josemaria, chasing the padel Grand Slam

The absence of the Brea/Gonzalez duo helped them, as did the semifinal defeat of Triay/Fernandez, but Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaria did not settle for an ordinary victory, almost foreseen the day before. To legitimize their first triumph in the BNL Italy Major at the Foro Italico, the world number ones showcased a high-level performance in the final against veterans Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno. Despite their commendable effort to reach the title match at a combined age of 78, they couldn't keep up with the rhythm imposed by the top players, who resolved the duel in just 54 minutes, with a score of 6-1 6-0.

The two Spaniards don't always manage to play such brilliant padel, which is why the Brea/Gonzalez duo has set their sights on the number one spot (though their absence in Rome will weigh heavily). However, when Sanchez and Josemaria are this inspired, it takes a remarkable effort to stop them. They cover every corner of the court perfectly in defense, their attacks are damaging, and they make very few unforced errors even at high speeds. The proof is in the statistics from the final: in two sets, they hit an impressive 32 winners and made just 6 unforced errors, dominating from the first to the last ball.

For Sanchez and Josemaria, who in the first edition of the Rome Major (2023) were narrowly defeated in the final by Ortega/Triay, this marks their thirtieth victory together on the main Tour, the fourth of the season after Riyadh, Doha, and Mar del Plata. But most importantly, it's their third consecutive Major in the Premier Padel circuit, the second of a season that sees them in the running for a possible padel Grand Slam. They will try to complete it in the autumn, between Paris (as defending champions) and Acapulco. The level shown in Rome suggests that nothing is impossible.