American junior padel had a weekend to remember in Woodlands, Texas. From February 27 through March 1, Woodlands Padel hosted the first FIP Promises event of the year in the United States, and the country’s young players delivered across every division. The headline moment came Sunday morning on Center Court: an all-American Under 18 Boys final, with two American teams facing off for a FIP international title at home.

An All-American U18 Boys Final

Pablo Avina and Camilo Velasco Franco entered Sunday’s Under-18 Boys final as the top seeds in the draw. The pair, ranked 16th and 91st respectively in the Americas with 351 combined FIP Promises points, faced fellow Americans Santiago Castro Varela and Jorge Chaul in the championship match. Avina and Velasco claimed the title in convincing fashion, winning 6-4, 6-2.

U16 Boys: Americans on All Four Sides of the Draw

The Under-16 Boys draw told a similar story. Sunday’s semifinals featured American players across every match.

Alejandro Kalil and Diego De La Cruz, the top seeds in the U16 draw, with De La Cruz ranked 30th in the Americas (275 points) and Kalil contributing another 93, faced Camilo Chaul and Marco Fuentes Davila in one semifinal. Chaul and Fuentes Davila advanced after Kalil and De La Cruz retired from the match. In the other semifinal, Finlay Harry Ferguson and Jorge Chaul defeated Matias Esteban Vazquez and Nikolas Palacios 6-2, 6-2. In the final, Finlay Harry Ferguson and Jorge Chaul defeated Marco Fuentes Davila and Camilo Chaul 6-1, 6-2 to win the U16 Boys title.

U14 Boys: US Pair Battles Through Two Draws

In Under-14 Boys, Camilo Chaul and Marco Fuentes Davila represented the United States in the round robin phase. They finished 3rd in the group with a 1-2 record against a strong Mexican-led field, but their week wasn’t over. Taking advantage of the FIP Promises rule, which allows players to compete in a second age category, Chaul and Fuentes Davila also entered the U16 Boys draw and advanced to the semifinals.

The U14 Boys final was decided by a tight three-set match. Mexican pair Carlos Emilio Torres Camuñas and Jose Ramon Garrido Reina defeated compatriots Santiago Gonzalez and Gil Adrian Moreno Serna 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 to claim the title.

Girls U14: Falls Short in Final

In Under-14 Girls, Regina Ayala (USA) and Joaquina Rojas (VEN) reached the final, where they fell to the Mexican pair Dana Campos Garcia and Fatima Sanchez Botello Soto by a score of 6-1, 6-1.

A Decade of Junior Development

This tournament represents a full-circle moment for Woodlands Padel and tournament director Paloma Varela. The facility began training juniors almost a decade ago with a single private court in Paloma’s backyard. At that time, there were very few padel clubs in the USA, and Paloma’s early commitment to junior padel, along with what would become Woodlands Padel, created a hub of activity in the greater Houston region, resulting in many players from the area being selected for the first USA national junior team. Some of the players who competed in this FIP Promises event have been training at Woodlands Padel since 2016. Now, with four courts and a competitive academy, the facility has grown alongside the juniors it helped develop, a testament to how far junior padel has come in Texas.

Growing Padel in America

FIP Promises events are where American juniors earn international ranking points, gain match experience against players from across the Americas, and put themselves in front of national team selectors. Hosting one of these tournaments at Woodlands Padel keeps that opportunity accessible to U.S. families, with no international travel required.

For players like Alejandro Kalil, Diego De La Cruz, Pablo Avina, Camilo Velasco, Emma Cantu, Roberta Berlanga, and Delfina Inza, all of whom carry significant FIP Promises ranking points entering 2026, results at events like this one feed directly into their seedings at FIP Continental events and, further down the road, the FIP Junior World Cup. This tournament in Texas was a crucial step in that development.

Results

U14 Boys: Camilo Chaul and Marco Fuentes Davila – 3rd place, Round Robin

U16 Boys: Finlay Harry Ferguson and Jorge Chaul – Champion

U18 Boys: Pablo Avina and Camilo Velasco Franc – Champion

U14 Girls: Regina Ayala and Joaquina Rojas – Finals

For the full draws, scores, and player list, visit the official FIP Promises Woodlands event page.