First came the bronze medal won at last year’s European Championships, followed by the medals claimed at the Mediterranean Games less than two months ago. Giulia Dal Pozzo and Giorgia Marchetti shared some of the finest moments in the history of the Italian women’s national team as partners, but this time, at the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1, they will face each other as opponents in the first round of one of the biggest tournaments in the world. The draw at the Allianz Cloud has set up another all-Italian derby, following those in 2022, 2024 and 2025, all in the men’s draw. It is a tradition that continues less than a month before the FIP World Cup in Doha (2-7 November), where both Dal Pozzo and Marchetti will compete. In Milan, Giulia, ranked 26th in the world, will partner Spain’s Nuria Rodriguez, with whom she reached the historic semi-finals at the Italy Major and the Valladolid P2 this year. Marchetti, meanwhile, will play alongside Lara Arruabarrena. At stake is a place in the last 16 and a potential high-profile clash with “leyenda” Ale Salazar, who will make her final appearance in Milan before retiring at the end of the year, and Aranzazu Osoro, one of the stars of Argentina’s national team, who will also be in Doha next month.
Like Dal Pozzo and Marchetti, the other Italian player, Carolina Orsi, and her partner Patty Llaguno have been drawn in the top half, alongside the world number 1 seeds Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea. In their opening match, Rome-born Orsi, ranked 30th in the FIP Ranking, and the former world number 1 will face Sofia Saiz and Marta Talavan, with a potential quarter-final meeting against Triay-Brea.
MEN’S PLAYERS TO WATCH There is also plenty of anticipation for the men’s draw, with the spotlight on 22-year-old Flavio Abbate, the talented Italian who recently broke into the world top 50. The “son of the Island” – born and raised in Syracuse, Sicily – will partner Spain’s Alonso Rodriguez against a pair coming through qualifying. Should they progress, they would face Javi Garrido, ranked 19th in the world, and Juani De Pascual.
Another key figure in the Italian men’s team, Aris Patiniotis, will also open against a pair from qualifying, with world number 1 seeds Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia potentially awaiting him in the second round. The other Italians already admitted to the main draw face demanding debuts: Marco Cassetta will partner Fabian Oviedo against Spain’s Javi Barahona and Argentina’s Nacho Piotto; Alvaro Montiel, playing alongside Dani Santigosa, will take on Manu Castaño and Pol Hernandez in an intriguing clash between two of the leading NextGen pairs. Another match promising plenty of entertainment will see Simone Iacovino and Giulio Graziotti – who will travel to Doha next month alongside their Italian teammates – face Spanish talent David Gala and Enzo Jensen.