{"id":98234,"date":"2026-02-10T11:30:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T10:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/riyadh-season-p1-ortega-calvo-strike-first-the-stars-take-the-stage\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T11:45:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T10:45:39","slug":"riyadh-season-p1-ortega-calvo-strike-first-the-stars-take-the-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/riyadh-season-p1-ortega-calvo-strike-first-the-stars-take-the-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Riyadh Season P1: Ortega\u2013Calvo strike first, the stars take the stage"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A hard-hitting start in Riyadh<\/h2>\n

First tournament, first cold sweats: the Riyadh Season P1<\/strong> kicked off the 2026 campaign with a string of tight battles from Day 1. The message is clear: even before the seeds step in, the draw offers barely a moment\u2019s respite, and matches swinging in a third set are already becoming the norm.<\/p>\n

The scene is set for a packed week at the PADEL RUSH ARENA, with the tournament scheduled from 7 to 14 February (qualifying rounds followed by the main draw) and a full men\u2019s and women\u2019s field.<\/p>\n

Ortega\u2013Calvo: a winning debut, without dragging it out<\/h2>\n

Among the new partnerships under close watch, Ortega\u2013Calvo<\/strong> wasted no time making their point. Marta Ortega and Martina Calvo delivered a crisp win over Jessica Castell\u00f2 and Lorena Rufo (6-3, 6-1) in 1h14, a performance that speaks volumes about their ability to seize control early: intensity from the opening games, a steady tempo, and very few windows left for their opponents.<\/p>\n

That result is also a telling sign of where several players are heading in 2026: betting on new complementarities sometimes even across generations to gain bite and variation. Calvo, still very young, is tipped as one of the names ready to take a leap this season, and this first outing only strengthens that idea.<\/p>\n

On the women\u2019s side: tricky first-round traps right away<\/h2>\n

Day 1 also revived a pro padel classic: the \u201cfirst-round trap\u201d, where chemistry and habits can matter more than ranking. Noa C\u00e1novas and Laia Rodr\u00edguez rode a rollercoaster past Alix Collombon and Araceli Montes (6-0, 3-6, 6-0). They will now be the first opponents for Bea Gonz\u00e1lez \/ Paula Josemar\u00eda, a new seeded pairing in a thoroughly reshaped draw.<\/p>\n

Another headline match: Marta Talav\u00e1n and Sof\u00eda Saiz had to grind it out (7-5, 6-7, 6-3) and will next face Andrea Ustero alongside Ari S\u00e1nchez. Once again, it\u2019s a new duo meaning a match where pure level must compensate for a lack of shared history\u2026 or, conversely, where the project\u2019s early momentum can hit hard.<\/p>\n

Guichard \/ Blanqu\u00e9: a major date with Coello \/ Tapia<\/h2>\n

On the men\u2019s side, the storyline for French fans is straightforward: Dylan Guichard and Bastien Blanqu\u00e9 earned the right to test themselves against the very best. After beating Juan Cruz Belluati and Facundo Dominguez (7-5, 6-1), the French pair land a prestige clash with Coello\/Tapia<\/strong> as the world No. 1s begin their season.<\/p>\n

Beyond the poster, the task is simple: hold serve, stay close in the key games. Against Coello and Tapia, it\u2019s not enough to \u201cplay well\u201d you have to remain dangerous when the match accelerates. The kind of test that\u2019s worth its weight in gold, even when the draw is unforgiving.<\/p>\n

Wednesday: the heavyweights arrive, and the tournament shifts gear<\/h2>\n

The next day\u2019s schedule marks the real turning point: the top pairs enter the stage. Fede Chingotto and Ale Gal\u00e1n, for instance, are set to face Gonzalo Rubio and Javi Ruiz, fresh off a gruelling three-set fight. At the same time, the \u201creunion\u201d of Mike Yanguas and Franco Stupaczuk will play its first official match of the season against Pol Hern\u00e1ndez and Guille Collado.<\/p>\n

In a week-long event, those first matches from the headliners are always a form check: positioning, quality off the glass, smash efficiency, and the management of \u201chot\u201d moments when the score tightens. In short, everything that often decides the late rounds\u2026 starts showing up right now.<\/p>\n

A reshuffled 2026 draw: Paula vs Ari on the horizon<\/h2>\n

The Riyadh Season P1 also signals a major shift on the women\u2019s side. Behind Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay, announced as the No. 1 seeds, a wave of new pairings has redrawn the hierarchy: Bea Gonz\u00e1lez with Paula Josemar\u00eda (No. 2), Andrea Ustero with Ari S\u00e1nchez (No. 3), and Claudia Fern\u00e1ndez with Sof\u00eda Ara\u00fajo (No. 4). And, unusually, Paula Josemar\u00eda and Ari S\u00e1nchez could meet\u2026 as opponents, as early as the semi-finals depending on the draw path.<\/p>\n

On the men\u2019s side, the reading is similar: Coello\/Tapia remain the pair to beat and Chingotto\/Gal\u00e1n the main obstacle, but the season opens with returns, reshuffles and new duos chasing rhythm fast. In other words: yesterday\u2019s challengers have a window to close the gap if they bank points early.<\/p>\n

The Star Point arrives: why it could matter from week one<\/h2>\n

Another major new feature is the introduction of the Star Point<\/strong>, a scoring format designed to curb marathon games. In practical terms, from the first deuce (40-40) you move into a three-step sequence: a first advantage, then a second if needed, and finally a single decisive point (the \u201cStar Point\u201d) if the second deuce comes back. The result: fewer five-minute tug-of-wars on one game, and more pressure concentrated on one or two \u201ctarget\u201d points.<\/p>\n

To follow the draws, order of play and official results, check the reference pages: Premier Padel \u2013 Riyadh Season P1<\/a> and FIP \u2013 Riyadh Season P1 2026 event page<\/a>. For a full breakdown of the Star Point, the FIP also provides an explanation: FIP \u2013 Star Point presentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also on Actu Padel: Riyadh Season P1 2026: dates, format, pairs and key stakes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Key takeaways<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • The tournament starts at high pace, with plenty of matches decided by nerve and a third set.<\/li>\n
  • Ortega\u2013Calvo<\/strong> make a strong statement with a fast, reassuring win.<\/li>\n
  • Guichard\/Blanqu\u00e9<\/strong> earn a gala clash with Coello\/Tapia<\/strong> as the No. 1s open their season.<\/li>\n
  • The women\u2019s draw has been reshaped: a potential Paula Josemar\u00eda<\/strong> vs Ari S\u00e1nchez<\/strong> clash is one of the week\u2019s headline storylines.<\/li>\n
  • The Star Point<\/strong> could change the way key games are managed early: every decisive point carries extra weight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Eight matches went to the 3rd set on Day 1 in Riyadh: Ortega\/Calvo make a successful debut, Guichard\/Blanqu\u00e9 get a big match-up against Coello\/Tapia, and the headliners arrive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[],"tmauthors":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-98234","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-premier-padel-tour"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98234"},{"taxonomy":"tmauthors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actu-padel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tmauthors?post=98234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}