Le  mixed padel  Could it one day be part of the Olympic program? The sport is still a long way off, but the question is starting to be asked now that padel has recently made its appearance as  medal sport at the Mediterranean Games of Taranto with three categories: male, female and mixed.

Interviewed before the  Madrid P1  regarding the player they would choose to compete in a potential mixed tournament at the Olympic Games,  Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia  delivered two rather unexpected answers.

Coello not yet totally convinced by the mix

Even before choosing a partner,  Arturo Coello  he seemed hesitant when asked if he would like to compete in this type of competition.

"Yes, no, I don't know, it depends, I don't know," he replied with a smile, provoking laughter from Tapia and the audience.

 Agustín Tapia  He seemed a little more enthusiastic about the idea: "It would be different, but I think there's still a long way to go before we get there. Obviously, if we're asked to play, and even more so to represent our country, we would always do it."

Martina Calvo for Coello

When it came to choosing a partner, however, Coello didn't hesitate much. A question his father had already asked him that very morning.

The world number 1 would choose  Martina Calvo , one of the rising young players on the women's circuit.

An interesting choice, especially since the Spaniard could have turned to higher-ranked players such as  Gemma Triay, Bea González or Ari Sánchez But Coello seems to be prioritizing criteria other than simple ranking when designing his mixed pair.

Tapia chooses "La Vikinga"

For  Agustín Tapia Heading to Argentina. The Mozart of Catamarca would choose  Aranzazu Osoro , nicknamed "the Vikinga".

"I would say with the Vikinga," Tapia simply replied.

Again, this wasn't necessarily the most obvious choice on paper. The Argentinian could have cited, in particular  Delfi Brea , world number 1 and compatriot, but prefers the profile of Osoro, known for her intensity, character and energy on the track.

Coello / Calvo and Tapia / Osoro at the Games?

For now, all of this obviously remains hypothetical.  Padel is not yet an Olympic sport and there is no guarantee that any eventual inclusion in the Games would include a mixed event.

But the responses from the world's number ones already reveal two interesting associations:  Arturo Coello / Martina Calvo for Spain and Agustín Tapia / Aranzazu Osoro for Argentina .

Two choices that also show that, even when they can select their ideal partner,  Coello and Tapia don't just look at the world rankings .

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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