At 18 years, Andrea Ustero stands out as one of the greatest promises of the women's padelThe young Catalan, already a record holder for precocity on the circuit, will compete this week in her second Premier Padel Finals au Palau sant jordiAnd this edition will have a special flavor: it will be played at home… and has just learned that it will form a new pair 100% Catalan in 2026 with Ari Sánchez.

Prior to this major announcement, Ustero gave an interview to Sports world.

“Playing in the Finals is the reward for an entire season.”

Ustero's year has been busy: a start to the season with Alejandra Alonso, then a solid project with Sofia Araújo which allowed the pair to establish themselves as world top 4.
For her, arriving at the Finals healthy and in good rhythm is already a victory:

“This is the reward for all the hard work of the year. The schedule is tough, so arriving at the Masters without any embarrassment and being able to play at 100% is a source of pride.”

Play at Palau adds extra motivation… but also a certain weight:

“I’ll definitely be nervous. Playing in front of my family and friends adds something extra, but there’s also the pressure of not wanting to disappoint them. I’ll try to manage that well.”

A player already in the history books: “Everything happened very quickly”

In June, Ustero became the youngest champion in history of a professional tournament, at 18 years, 1 months and 24 days, by winning the Bordeaux P2.

A moment she will never forget:

“I didn’t even know it was a record. What came to mind was all the work behind it, my family, my team. People see the game, but not everything that goes into it.”

She emphasizes the personal evolution behind this title: gym, mindset, discipline…
“Physical strength and mental fortitude are just as important as talent. I’ve been working at 100% for a year and a half.”

A mental block against the best

With Araújo, Ustero had a regular season, but the duels against the top 3 pairs often eluded the young player:

“Against the best, sometimes we don't believe we're capable. We have opportunities, but our minds aren't in it. We know we can beat them, it's mental. We work on that with the psychologist.”

Sofía Araújo's key contribution

For Ustero, the Portuguese guitar was a fundamental element in his development:

“She taught me never to give up on a ball. Ale Alonso and I were very young, we lacked experience. Sofi showed me another way of looking at padel.”

An additional maturity that should serve him well in his project 2026 with Ari Sánchezannounced just after the interview.

A year-end focused on the Palau… and the family

As Christmas approaches, the young star remains grounded:

“I’m not asking for anything material. Only health for my family, that’s what matters most to me.”

A future number one?

Ustero makes no secret of it: she dreams of becoming n ° 1 worldwide“I’ve always dreamed of being number 1.”
With a pro title, an already impressive discipline and now an association with Ari, she is moving at great speed towards this goal.

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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