Home Chatting with... Virginia Riera: ‘This new pair has given me a boost of energy to keep going’

Brief News, Chatting with..., Featured

CHATTING WITH...

Virginia Riera: ‘This new pair has given me a boost of energy to keep going’

19 October 2026
12:17 pm

Andalusia, October 18, 2026. Virginia Riera lifts the trophy of the FIP Gold Ciudad de Sevilla. It is the eighth CUPRA FIP Tour title she has won this season, four more than in all of 2025. The Argentine, currently ranked number 39 in the world, thus records one of her best recent achievements.

Riera is determined to revive her career, and her enthusiasm is more than evident. From her on-court partner to her place of residence and training, everything has changed very recently. Her next major step? Representing the Argentine national team at the 2026 Padel World Championship, to be held from November 2 to 7.

We have had the opportunity to speak with her about her changes, her current competitive situation, and the goals she sets for the future.

Born in Resistencia, Argentina, she decided to move to Spain to pursue her career. Currently, fate has brought her to Dubai. Although the decision was primarily driven by personal reasons, the change of residence has also found its place in a career that remains very active.

Virginia Riera: Now I’m in Dubai. I moved here in January for personal reasons. Honestly, since I left Argentina, I don’t really care much about where I live, and in terms of sports, I felt it wouldn’t affect me. It’s true that in previous years, I didn’t see it as possible, but I think nowadays Dubai is really developing, and padel is growing a lot there.

Thus, her new training routine has a new home, but retains a familiar essence, as he shares a language with much of the technical team.

V.R.: I’m training with Fran Cepero and Alfonso Cristóbal at Central Padel Dubai. It’s a club there that has brought over a lot of coaches from Spain, so yeah, honestly, I’m really happy.

Among a series of changes, the player with whom she shares the same side of the court also stands out. The partnership with Julieta Bidahorria did not arise suddenly: both had been talking for some time about the possibility of playing together, but until now they had not found the right moment.

V.R.: Juli and I had been chatting for years and never managed to meet up. I think this relationship found us both at a good time.

The connection, at least in these initial tournaments, has been immediate. Without grand promises or specific goals in the ranking, the two have preferred to build from their feelings.

V.R.: We don’t have any expectations regarding ranking or results. But it’s true that since the first tournament we started feeling really good and really close. So, we’re both really motivated. We played a tournament that was super positive for both of us, and we hope it continues to go this well.

The distance between the two, however, requires organizing the preparation in a different manner.

V. R.: Julieta lives in Madrid and we are training with Carina Bertin and Paula Eyheraguibel, who are living in Barcelona. So when we get together, I went there for a week before the tournaments and we trained. Right now we have a stretch of back-to-back tournaments that doesn’t even give us time to train between them. But I think that looking ahead to next year, in preseason, we’ll do something more intensive. But well, for now, we’re fine like this.

However, their partnership goes far beyond the courts of the CUPRA FIP Tour and Premier Padel. On the horizon awaits another colossal court: that of the 2026 Padel World Championship, an event for which both have been selected. For Riera, it will not be a new experience, as she has worn the Argentine jersey on seven occasions (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2024), with a victory in 2012. For the player, representing her country retains a special significance, although she acknowledges that the passage of time changes the way certain opportunities are approached.

V. R.:We are very happy! The years go by, and one starts having more doubts, which before, perhaps, one did not have so much. And this year I was extremely excited to be able to go, so for me it was fantastic news. We always know it is going to be very tough; Spain is our great rival, whom we always see as a bit more difficult, almost impossible, so to speak. But, when one puts on the Argentina jersey, in the end it becomes a different tournament. I think not all players compete with their teammates – well, Spain does have established pairs – but we always have the excitement. Afterwards, things will happen as they may, and we will see how everything develops, but the excitement is always there.

Perhaps one of the keys to his current moment lies there: the undiminished desire to keep competing. With major events still ahead and renewed excitement from the good feelings provided by her current partner, retirement from the professional circuit remains, for now, far from her horizon.

V. R.: I’ll see the retreat little by little. The rush we’re having with Juli and how everything is happening, I feel like it gave me a boost of energy to keep going. So we’ll see, because honestly I don’t have it planned. I think the day I stop feeling it or enjoying myself on the court, I’ll decide to stop.

Virginia Riera: ‘This new pair has given me a boost of energy to keep going’

Where every padel story makes headlines

Latest News

Galán and Chingotto are out due to injury at the Kuwait Major 2026

Padel looks to Brisbane 2032 with the Olympic dream on the horizon