Race 2026: Sánchez and Ustero cut gap for second place to 160 points

Sánchez and Ustero close in on second place

Back-to-back titles in Paris and Rotterdam have shaken up the women's 2026 Race. After their win at the Rotterdam P2, Ariana Sánchez and Andrea Ustero are now just 160 points behind Beatriz González and Paula Josemaría in the battle for second place in the season standings. After the Paris Major, the gap had still been 400 points.

According to the Race standings published by Padel Addict after Rotterdam, González and Josemaría have 8,840 points each, while Sánchez and Ustero have 8,680. At the top, Gemma Triay and Delfina Brea remain clear leaders with 11,480 points, 2,640 ahead of their closest pursuers.

The Race only counts points earned in the current season and decides who qualifies for the Premier Padel Finals in Barcelona in December. The top 16 men and the top 16 women in the standings get a place at the season finale.

Coello and Tapia pull further away

There is less suspense in the men's Race. Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, who also won both Paris and Rotterdam, now have 13,220 points each. Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto follow with 11,440, which puts the gap at 1,780 points, 510 more than after Paris.

The fight for the last places at the Finals is far tighter. Javier Leal holds the 16th and final qualifying spot with 2,763 points, 546 ahead of Juan Tello in 17th. Both men have had a tough start in Düsseldorf: Leal and Francisco Guerrero lost 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 to Valentino Libaak and Gonzalo Alfonso in Wednesday's round of 32, a week after losing to the same pair in Rotterdam. Tello and Maximiliano Arce are still in the draw and face Clément Geens and Nacho Moragues on Thursday.

Düsseldorf could shift the order again

The CUPRA Germany P2 is the second of three European tournaments in a row and comes at a key moment in the race for second place among the women. Sánchez and Ustero are seeded third and open on Thursday against Jimena Velasco and Raquel Eugenio. González and Josemaría play Sofía Saiz and Marta Talavan. If one pair goes deeper into the draw than the other, the order could change before the tour moves on.

Coello and Tapia Win Men's Title at Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1

Triay and Brea, the defending champions in Düsseldorf, start against Marta Barrera and Jana Montes, while Coello and Tapia, the top seeds in the men's draw, play José Antonio Diestro and Marc Sintes. Galán and Chingotto, who won the title here last year, take on Javier Garrido and Juani De Pascual in Thursday's last match on centre court, which is not scheduled to start before 18:00 Spanish time.

The most open storyline in the women's Race

With Triay and Brea well clear at the top, the duel between Sánchez/Ustero and González/Josemaría is now the most open storyline in the women's standings. The gap between the two pairs has fallen from 400 points to 160 in a single week, and Sánchez and Ustero have won the last two events they have played.

The calendar does not let up after Düsseldorf. The Kuwait tournament from October 26 to 31 was upgraded from P1 to Major status this season, which means more points are on offer before the tour heads to Barcelona.