Key Takeaways
- Carlota Lamas Rodriguez, aged 14 years and 11 months, will partner former world number one Ale Salazar as top seeds at the FIP Bronze Sportclub Alicante.
- Lamas Rodriguez called the partnership “a dream come true” and stated she will “try to learn as much as I can, and, above all, enjoy every moment.”
- The men’s draw is led by FIP number 47 Victor Ruiz and Mario Ortega as action runs from September 18 through September 20.
A teenage dream realized on the CUPRA FIP Tour
At just 14 years and 11 months of age, Carlota Lamas Rodriguez is about to embark on the biggest weekend of her fledgling career. The NextGen prospect has joined forces with Spanish padel icon and former world number one Ale Salazar at the FIP Bronze Sportclub Alicante. Entering the competition as top seeds, the pairing offers Lamas Rodriguez an extraordinary vantage point alongside an icon who, alongside Gemma Triay, holds the record for the most titles won in women’s padel history with 58 trophies. While exceptionally young, Lamas Rodriguez is not the youngest competitor ever to feature on the CUPRA FIP Tour.
Taking to social media to share her excitement, the teenager described the milestone as “a dream come true.”
Reflecting on what the partnership means to her personally, Lamas Rodriguez expressed deep admiration for Salazar. “Ale is a person I love very much and for whom I feel even greater admiration and respect,” she shared. “There are dreams that, when you are little, seem too big to be able to achieve. But sometimes life surprises you, rewards you, and shows you that some dreams can come true.”
Setting her sights on growth rather than purely on the final scoreline, she added: “I do not know how the tournament will go, but there is one thing I do know: I will give everything, try to learn as much as I can, and, above all, enjoy every moment. From the moment I get into the car to go to the tournament until we shake hands after the last match. Because I know that, whatever happens, it will be a memory I will carry with me forever. I love you, legend!”
Top seeds across the women’s draw
Salazar and Lamas Rodriguez lead the women’s event based on FIP ranking points, heading an entry list that features established tour regulars across the top four seeded positions.
| Seed | Pair |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ale Salazar and Carlota Lamas Rodriguez |
| 2 | Ana Dominguez and Sandra Bellver |
| 3 | Aida Martinez and Nati Lopez |
| 4 | Carlotta Casali and Margherita Aima |
Men’s draw spotlights Ruiz and Ortega
In the men’s main draw, Mario Ortega and Victor Ruiz, who currently sits at number 47 in the FIP ranking, arrive as the top-seeded tandem. Both are searching for their first title on the CUPRA FIP Tour. Ruiz previously came close to silverware in April at the FIP Silver in Nola alongside Argentine veteran Sanyo Gutierrez, where they finished as runners-up to Alex Chozas and Tino Libaak.
Ruiz and Ortega are joined in the upper section of the draw by third seeds Samu Rivas and Luis Oliver Artigas. On the opposite side of the bracket, notable contenders include second seeds Ignacio Sager and Salva Oria, as well as the fourth-seeded pairing of Pablo Reina and Marcel Font. Main draw matches begin on Friday, September 18, with the tournament reaching its climax in Sunday’s finals on September 20.
