Gala conquers two continents in seven days
David Gala arrived in São Paulo as the reigning FIP Gold Bucharest champion, having beaten Manuel Aragon and Albert Roglan 7-5, 7-6 alongside Enzo Jensen one week earlier. He left Brazil with a second consecutive FIP Gold title — this time partnered with Argentine Maxi Arce — after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of José Diestro and Juanlu Esbri in Sunday's men's final at the FIP Gold São Paulo. The match lasted 1 hour and 24 minutes.
The feat stands alone on the CUPRA FIP Tour this season: two FIP Gold titles in seven days, at opposite ends of the world, with two different partners. Gala, a Spanish right-side specialist who had previously fallen at the final hurdle in separate FIP Platinum and Gold finals alongside Jensen, converted the São Paulo opportunity into 150 ranking points — the maximum available at Gold level — and a statistic that few players at any level of the circuit are likely to match in a single week. The Bucharest and São Paulo golds were played on different continents, against entirely different opponents, with entirely different tactical profiles.
Velasco and Eugenio win a contested women's final
The women's final was decided in two sets, but not without a fight. Jimena Velasco and Raquel Eugenio overcame Lorena Rufo and Jessica Castelló 7-5, 6-4 to claim the São Paulo women's title, also earning 150 FIP ranking points. The first set ran close throughout, with both pairs trading games until Velasco and Eugenio forced the break late. The second set reflected their control more clearly, closed out in six games.
Rufo and Castelló — who are seeded for the FIP Platinum Lyon main draw, whose qualification round opens this Monday — return to Europe without the São Paulo title they targeted. Their performance in the final nonetheless underlines the consistency of a partnership that has become one of the FIP Tour's most dependable outside the Premier Padel circuit. They will be expected to go deep in Lyon.
Brazilian audience and local talent
The São Paulo FIP Gold, held at an indoor facility in the Brazilian city for the third time, again drew significant attention from local fans. Brazilian pairs Cirne and Giusti Gomes advanced to the quarterfinals and generated large crowds during their early-round matches. Brazil now hosts multiple FIP events each year, and the São Paulo Gold has established itself as the country's flagship professional padel competition — a status reinforced by the calibre of the international field and the results it produces each edition.
Maxi Arce had arrived in Brazil with a clear Race-to-Barcelona agenda. The Argentine, who has partnered with several players across the FIP Tour this season, put together the Gala partnership specifically for São Paulo, and it clicked immediately, dropping just eight games across the final two rounds of the main draw.
FIP Race context and what comes next
With 19 of the 32 Race-to-Barcelona qualification spots still open and the European indoor season now underway, Gala's intercontinental double dramatically improves his Race standing. Arce also moves up significantly. Both players' points tallies after São Paulo put them in strong contention for the year-end Finals in Barcelona.
The CUPRA FIP Tour now shifts to Lyon for the FIP Platinum (September 21–27), offering the season's largest available points haul outside the Premier Padel circuit. For players whose São Paulo campaigns ended in the earlier rounds, Lyon is the immediate chance to respond. Velasco and Eugenio, arriving from Brazil as runners-up, carry momentum into a Platinum draw where maximum Race points are on the line.
The next FIP Gold on the calendar is scheduled for October, ahead of the Düsseldorf Premier Padel P2 and the year-end run to the Barcelona Finals.