In the women’s category, Portugal arrived in Doha with the challenge of defending the fourth world position it had achieved in 2024. It did not succeed.<\/p>\n
The formation of the different pairs lacked a sufficient level to face the Netherlands in the initial phase. In other words, there was no strategy that would allow the Portuguese team to maintain first place in Group D. There was, however, a strategy focused on promoting the debut of a 15-year-old in the National Padel Team.<\/p>\n
Although the Portuguese Padel Federation (FPP)<\/a> argued in a press release that the call-up would correspond to a “team renewal,” it is not clear why an under-16 player was called up, when, in reality, the national scene is made up of other slightly older young players, with a longer trajectory in the professional circuit and, consequently, greater international experience<\/strong>. An example of this would be Constan\u00e7a Gorito<\/a>, runner-up at the 2025 Junior World Championship in the under-18 category, a professional since 2021, who competes in Cupra FIP Tour circuit tournaments throughout the year.<\/p>\n It is important to emphasize that this observation is in no way intended to cast doubt on the talent of the young selected player, but rather to question <\/strong>the sporting criteria considered by the FPP to formalize the call-up for this World Cup.<\/strong><\/p>\n The results achieved in this championship led to Portugal losing its status as the fourth seed<\/strong>. In 2028, it will be forced to share a group with one of the main powerhouses of Padel \u2013 currently Spain, Argentina, Italy, or France. The challenge will be enormous, as it will need to secure first place in that group in order to avoid facing any of these teams in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n By betting on the future, Portugal seems to have neglected the present. By promoting one part of the project, it may have compromised the other. It now remains to wait and see how long it will take for the team to regain its place among the best.<\/p>\nA brief mention
\nA special mention should be given to Ana Catarina Nogueira, who, in Doha, with her experience, her pace, and her technique, wore, for the last time as a player, the national team\u00b4s jersey. Her journey deserves sincere recognition for so many years of commitment and contribution to Portuguese padel.Menci\u00f3n especial merece Ana Catarina Nogueira,<\/strong><\/a> que en Doha, con su experiencia, su ritmo y su t\u00e9cnica, visti\u00f3 por \u00faltima vez la camiseta de jugadora de la selecci\u00f3n nacional<\/strong>. Su trayectoria merece un sincero reconocimiento por tantos a\u00f1os de compromiso y contribuci\u00f3n al p\u00e1del portugu\u00e9s.<\/h3>\nThe need to invest in national players<\/h3>\n