Thijs Roper and Willy Släryd won the FIP Bronze R3 Bullpadel Cup in Mol, Belgium, on Sunday 16 August. The 21-year-old Dutchman and the 19-year-old Swede, seeded No. 6, beat Douglas Rutgersson and Sergio Nieto Simon 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
The result gives them their first title together. The tournament was played from 12 to 16 August at Mol Tennis & Padel Club, with 32 pairs in the men’s main draw.
- Winners: Thijs Roper and Willy Släryd
- Finalists: Douglas Rutgersson and Sergio Nieto Simon
- Final score: 6-3, 6-2
- Location: Mol, Belgium
FIP Bronze Mol result: Roper and Släryd win 6-3, 6-2
The quarter-final provided the first major obstacle. Roper and Släryd lost the opening set to Spanish fourth seeds Marcos Cordoba and Alejandro Calvo before turning the match around to win 2-6, 7-5, 7-6.
The same pattern followed in the semi-final against second seeds Simone Cremona and Jaume Romera. After losing the first set, Roper and Släryd took the second in a tie-break and the third 6-2, completing a 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 comeback.
In the final, they moved ahead earlier. Against eighth seeds Rutgersson and Nieto, they closed the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The FIP confirmed the title on 17 August.
A first title together and 40 FIP points
The Mol title is worth 40 FIP ranking points to the winners. In the men’s ranking published on 17 August, Roper is world No. 144 with 404 points, while Släryd is No. 172 with 333 points. Both players move up eleven places after the tournament.
For Roper, the win extends a 2026 season that has already included several finals on the CUPRA FIP Tour. With Släryd, he had reached the FIP Bronze Astorga final in June. Mol gives the pair the trophy this time.
In January, in an interview with Men’s Health Netherlands, Roper set out a clear goal for his international progress. The English translation is ours.
I want to be the first Dutch player to reach the world top 50.
Mol does not put him there yet, but it adds a title and 40 points to his season. For Roper and Släryd, their first trophy together also confirms they can recover after losing the opening set, as they did twice on the way to the final.
