Rubini and Chozas Claim FIP Gold San Luis, Upsetting Top Seeds

The upset that defined the tournament

The FIP Gold San Luis 2026 concluded in San Luis Potosí, Mexico with one of the CUPRA FIP Tour's most striking results of the summer. Second-seeded pair Juan Ignacio Rubini (Argentina) and Alex Chozas (Spain) defeated top seeds Alejandro Ruiz and Franco Renato Dal Bianco to claim the men's title, collecting 150 FIP ranking points in a tournament that ran from 18 to 23 August at one of Latin America's rising padel venues.

The result turned the draw on its head. Ruiz and Dal Bianco had arrived in Mexico as the clear pre-tournament favourites — an assessment shared across padel media — and they had navigated the earlier rounds, though not without significant physical cost. The FIP's own coverage described their route through the draw with the headline "¡Qué maratones de Ruiz-Dal Bianco!", a nod to the gruelling matches they played before reaching the final. Rubini and Chozas, meanwhile, came through their own semi-final against Tonet Sans and Gustavo Nunes to set up the decider.

A partnership built for big moments

Alex Chozas already knew what it felt like to win in Mexico. In April 2026, he partnered Valentino Libaak to victory at the FIP event in Aguascalientes, and his comfort on Mexican courts was again apparent in San Luis. The Spaniard brings a versatile, attacking game that complements the Argentinian solidity of Rubini, a player whose FIP ranking has been climbing consistently through the season.

For both players, the San Luis title represents their first FIP Gold-level victory as a pair. The 150 ranking points will have immediate consequences in the standings, with the next major Premier Padel event on the horizon. Chozas, in particular, has positioned himself as one of the tour's most adaptable performers: different partners, different conditions, consistent results.

Women's final: Ramme and Dubins make their mark

The women's draw in San Luis generated its own compelling narrative. Brazilian Camila Ramme and American Brittany Dubins advanced to the women's final, a feat confirmed by pre-final reporting from the FIP's official channels, which described Ramme's week as the performance that "kept Mexico dreaming." Their opponents in the title match were top-seeded Spanish pair Marta Borrero and Julia Polo — Borrero a finalist at the FIP Gold in Shanghai earlier in 2026, Polo a four-time CUPRA FIP Tour winner this season.

Ramme's presence in a FIP Gold final is a landmark moment for Brazilian padel. The sport's growth in Brazil has accelerated sharply over the past three years, and Ramme has become one of the most recognisable Brazilian players on the international circuit. Her partnership with Dubins — a cross-continental pairing that blends South American intensity with North American athleticism — is one the tour will be watching with increased interest.

Another weekend, another title in Italy

San Luis was not the only FIP Tour event concluding on Sunday. At the FIP Silver 3F Elettronica in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, Argentine pairing Valentino Libaak and Gonzalo Alfonso — seeded first — claimed the men's title, confirming Argentine players' dominance across multiple tour levels this weekend. With the Mediterranean Games padel competition in Taranto running until 28 August and the Premier Padel Madrid P1 approaching on the calendar, the international schedule remains packed heading into the final weeks of the European summer.