Spain Name B-Squad for Padel's Historic Mediterranean Games Debut

Taranto Sets the Stage for a First in Padel History

Padel will compete for medals at a multi-sport Games for the very first time when the XX Mediterranean Games open in Taranto, Italy on August 21. The padel programme runs from August 22 to 28 at the Salinella Mediterranean Park — a purpose-built facility in the south of Italy — with gold, silver and bronze on offer in men's, women's and mixed competitions. Nineteen national federations, including host Italy, have entered a combined 136 athletes, making it the largest international padel gathering ever staged under the banner of a major multi-sport event.

The venue itself is part of the story. The Salinella Mediterranean Park has been constructed specifically for these Games and will remain as a permanent padel complex long after the closing ceremony, a lasting infrastructure legacy in a region where the sport has been growing rapidly. It shares the site with skateboarding and will also host tennis training courts, reflecting the integrated approach of the broader Games programme.

Spain's Unusual Eight

The Spanish Padel Federation confirmed its eight-player squad earlier this week. The women's team consists of Lucía Sainz, Patty Llaguno, Nuria Rodríguez and Jimena Velasco; the men's side features David Gala, José Antonio Diestro, Pol Hernández and Guillermo Collado. Spanish specialist outlets described the selection as "very unusual" — and the reason is clear: the Premier Padel calendar runs parallel to the Mediterranean Games window, keeping Spain's top-ranked professionals busy on tour. Players such as Alejandro Galán, Arturo Coello and Gemma Triay — who just contested the London P1 final last weekend — are not available for national team duty in Taranto.

That said, the squad carries genuine quality. Patty Llaguno is one of the most decorated veterans of Spanish padel, respected across generations of the game. Lucía Sainz brings strong international team-event experience. On the men's side, Pol Hernández and Guillermo Collado have both been developing their games on the lower FIP circuit and see this as a breakthrough opportunity. Several of the eight players have already represented Spain in previous team competitions, so the group is far from raw.

A Double Debut: Carolina Navarro Steps Up as Women's Coach

One of the most discussed elements of the squad announcement is the appointment of Carolina Navarro as women's selector — her first official call-up in a national coaching role. Navarro, a former world number one widely regarded as one of the most technically astute minds in the sport, now leads the women's team alongside men's selector Juanjo Gutiérrez, the Federation's technical director. It is a debut that carries weight: both coaches are simultaneously managing Spain's preparations for the FIP Senior World Cup in Buenos Aires (September 14–19), meaning this Mediterranean Games assignment is just the opening chapter of a busy coaching autumn.

The competing nations span the full Mediterranean basin, from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt in the south to Serbia, Croatia and Turkey in the north. France, with a historically strong national programme, and Italy — backed by home crowd support — are expected to be Spain's strongest rivals. The Moroccan and Greek delegations are also worth watching; both federations have invested heavily in junior development in recent seasons.

Padel's Olympic Pathway Gets Another Milestone

The Mediterranean Games debut is not an isolated moment. Padel is already confirmed as a medal event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (September 19 – October 4, 2026) and will feature at the European Games in 2027. The FIP has described each multi-sport inclusion as "an important step on the sport's Olympic pathway." With two continental Games appearances in the same calendar year, 2026 is shaping up as the most politically significant in padel's push towards the Olympic programme.

Back on the professional tour, qualifying for the Madrid P1 begins at Pro Padel Coslada on August 29 — the day after the Taranto closing ceremony — which means Spain's senior professionals will be on court again almost immediately after the Mediterranean Games conclude. The two worlds of padel, national team and pro tour, rarely overlap so tightly on the calendar.