Martín Di Nenno’s accident in Monte Grande
Martín Di Nenno’s accident took place on 11 January 2016, when the car carrying Martín Di Nenno, Elías Estrella and Gastón Rodríguez collided with a bus in Monte Grande, Buenos Aires Province. Estrella, one of Argentina’s leading young padel players, and Rodríguez died in the crash. Di Nenno was the sole survivor.
Born on 18 March 1997, Di Nenno was 18 at the time of the accident. He suffered a double fracture of his right femur and a serious fracture of his left kneecap. He underwent two operations on his lower limbs. Antena 3 Deportes reported in 2021 that he had spent around ten days in intensive care and a month confined to bed.
The professional career he had started at a young age alongside Franco Stupaczuk stopped abruptly. The following months were devoted to recovering his ability to walk, strength and mobility. With both legs injured, Di Nenno had to rebuild his footing step by step before a return to the court could be considered.
Rehab and a first major title
Di Nenno later said doctors had warned him that he might have trouble walking again. After winning his first World Padel Tour title with Paquito Navarro at the Barcelona Master on 19 September 2021, he looked back on that period in an interview with Antena 3 Deportes.
They told me I would have trouble walking. I just wanted to play padel again. I didn’t want all this.
On 19 September 2021 in Barcelona, more than five years after the accident, Di Nenno won his first World Padel Tour title with Paquito Navarro, beating Juan Tello and Federico Chingotto.
When did Martín Di Nenno play padel again?
He said he started playing again around nine months after the accident. His return to the professional circuit came in 2017.
How old is Martín Di Nenno?
Born on 18 March 1997, he is 29 in 2026. He was 18 when the accident happened.
How tall is Martín Di Nenno?
The FIP lists his height as 1.75 m.
Di Nenno remains in the FIP Top 15 in 2026
His official FIP profile, dated 28 September 2026, ranks Martín Di Nenno 12th in the world with 5,006 points. His career-high ranking is No. 3. The FIP also credits him with four Premier Padel titles.
The international federation also lists his two world titles with Argentina in 2022 and 2024. In 2026, he is again playing with Paquito Navarro, the partner with whom he won his first major title five years earlier.
The physical after-effects have not completely disappeared. Di Nenno has said over the years that he still feels pain in his knee and femur, particularly during certain fitness exercises. His Premier Padel profile shows a career record of 174 wins in 242 matches, a 71.9% win rate. Ten years after the accident, those figures show the level he managed to regain.
