The US National Men’s Absolute Team left Doha with two straight wins, a 13th-place finish among the 16 best padel nations. From November 2 to 7, the FIP World Cup brought the sport’s elite to Qatar, and the US squad met them head-on, from three tough Group D battles against Italy, Brazil and Mexico to a fighting finish that ended with victories over Australia and host nation Qatar.
From a squad that earned qualification for the USA, Head Coach Jaco Blanco selected Vinny Di Francesco, Matías Segura, Chris Humphreys, Felipe Osses-Konig, Raul Ruiz, and Jose De Armas. USA veteran Nico Agritelly was unavailable due to the birth of his first child, paving the way for Sebastian Castaneda and Daniel Fernandez to join the team after strong performances on the domestic circuit over the summer. For Castaneda, it was his second World Cup; for Fernandez, his first.
Group D was as tough as it gets. Italy reached the semi-finals and finished fourth in the world, while Brazil finished sixth. Every match gave the US program a chance to measure itself against the best, and the Americans grew stronger each day.
Day 1: Opening the Fight Against Italy
The Americans opened their World Cup against the eventual semi-finalists, and they did not blink.
Chris Humphreys and Felipe Osses-Konig set a fearless tone from the very first serve against Italy’s world-ranked duo of Álvaro Montiel Caruso and Simone Cremona. They absorbed heavy firepower and fired back with clutch reflex winners at the net, and although Italy took the opener 6-3, the Americans turned the second set into a game-for-game slugfest before falling 7-5, proof that the US can push Europe’s seeded powerhouses to the limit.
Vinny Di Francesco and Matías Segura took on top-100 veteran Aris Patiniotis and rising star Giulio Graziotti, and showed outstanding court coverage and grit against one of the tournament’s most battle-tested pairs. Their defensive saves off big smashes and clean transition lobs earned respect across the venue and lit up the US bench. The Italians held firm to win the match in straight sets, sealing the tie for Italy, but the Americans walked off having traded blows with one of Europe’s elite pairings.
Jose De Armas and Raul Ruiz fought for every point against the in-form Marco Cassetta and Simone Iacovino. After dropping the first set while adjusting to the pace, they lifted their service games in the second, using sharp bandejas and quick net play to make it a much tighter 6-3 and build momentum for the days ahead.
| A. Montiel Caruso S. Cremona | 6 | 7 |
| C. Humphreys F. Osses Konig | 3 | 5 |
| A. Patiniotis G. Graziotti | 6 | 6 |
| V. Di Francesco M. Segura | 2 | 2 |
| M. Cassetta S. Iacovino | 6 | 6 |
| J. De Armas R. Ruiz Alvarez | 1 | 3 |
Day 2: Taking Brazil the Distance
The scoreline says 3-0, but the opening rubber told a very different story.
Vinny Di Francesco and Chris Humphreys took on world No. 21 Lucas Bergamini and seasoned international Diogo Correa Rodrigues, and made a statement. After Brazil took the first set 6-1, the Americans regrouped and stole a thrilling second-set tiebreak 7-6 to force a decider. Fearless net aggression, lightning reflex exchanges and disciplined wall defense carried them deep into the third set before Brazil edged it 6-3, with the US bench on its feet throughout.
Matías Segura and Daniel Fernandez brought agility and smart shot variety against Brazilian veterans Júlio Julianoti and Stefano Palma Flores. They stretched rallies from baseline to net, mixed in sharp bandejas and neutralized big smashes with patient back-glass recovery. Brazil won, but the Americans grew into the match and turned the second set into a real contest.
Sebastian Castaneda and Raul Ruiz contested every service game against Matheus De Avila Simonato and João Pedro Flores, using tactical lobs, quick reflex volleys and composed wall defense. Brazil took the match to complete the sweep, but a tight opening set gave the pair valuable rhythm ahead of the North American showdown with Mexico.
| L. Bergamini D. Correa Rodrigues | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| V. Di Francesco C. Humphreys | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| J. Julianoti S. Palma Flores | 6 | 6 |
| M. Segura D. Fernandez Guerra | 1 | 4 |
| M. De Avila Simonato J. Flores | 6 | 6 |
| S. Castaneda R. Ruiz Alvarez | 4 | 2 |
Day 3: USA’s biggest rivalry
USA versus Mexico matches always deliver intensity. This one was especially fiery, given the close victory that the USA had over the Mexican men at the World Cup qualifiers in Toronto earlier this summer. This edition delivered from the first ball, and unfortunately, the USA men could not repeat their qualifier victory.
Raul Ruiz and Jose De Armas opened the tie on Court 8 against Mexico’s seasoned duo of José Pablo Padilla and Diego Arredondo García, setting a determined, tactical tone from the baseline. They extended rallies with composed wall defense and traded rapid-fire net exchanges, but Padilla and Arredondo edged the key break points to take the first set 6-4 and pulled away in the second.
Vinny Di Francesco and Chris Humphreys brought electric energy against top-100 star Agustín Torre and Pablo Francisco Amora Hernández. They took on Torre’s heavy pace, fired quick reflex volleys at the tape and soaked up powerful smashes off the back glass. Mexico won two tight sets, 6-4, 6-4, to clinch the tie, but the Americans made them work for every game.
Then came the showstopper. Matías Segura and Felipe Osses-Konig dropped the opener 6-3 to José Ángel Montoya and Luis Enrique Barrientos García, then answered with fearless court coverage and clutch overheads to snatch a dramatic second-set tiebreak 7-6. Mexico took the decider, but the three-set marathon electrified the US bench and showed the heart this group would carry into the classification rounds.
| J. De Armas R. Ruiz Alvarez | 4 | 1 |
| J. Pablo Padilla D. Arredondo Garcia | 6 | 6 |
| V. Di Francesco C. Humphreys | 4 | 4 |
| E. Torre P. Amora Hernandez | 6 | 6 |
| M. Segura F. Osses Konig | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| J. Angel Montoya L. Barrientos Garcia | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Day 4: Two Tight Battles With Paraguay
The classification bracket opened with a South American test, and both rubbers went right to the edge. Matías Segura and Vinny Di Francesco, reunited for the first time since Day 1, faced Martín Abud and Facundo Dehnike. After dropping the first set 6-3, they stormed back to take the second 6-4 and force a decider, a reminder of how dangerous this pairing is when it finds its rhythm. Paraguay held on to win the third set 6-2.
Felipe Osses-Konig and Raul Ruiz, heavy underdogs on paper against Mariano Gonzalez and Samuel Miltos, came within a tiebreak of taking the opening set before falling 7-6. Paraguay then took the second set to close out the tie.
The result sent the Americans into the battle for 13th to 16th place, and the Segura–Di Francesco partnership was about to become the engine of a strong finish.
| M. Abud F. Dehnike | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| M. Segura V. Di Francesco | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| M. Gonzalez San Martin S. Miltos | 7 | 6 |
| F. Osses Konig R. Ruiz Alvarez | 6 | 3 |
Day 5: The Comeback Against Australia
This was the day the Americans broke through, and they did it the hard way. Chris Humphreys and Felipe Osses-Konig opened on Court 13 against Timothy Brown and Andrea Melisi, and Australia struck first with a win. That left the US one match away from dropping into the 15th-place playoff, and the pressure was on.
Matías Segura and Vinny Di Francesco answered emphatically. They beat Emeric Navarro and Marious Zelba 6-2, 6-1 with their most dominant padel of the tournament, controlling the net and dropping just three games to level the tie at 1-1.
With everything on the line, Raul Ruiz and Jose De Armas delivered. They took control early against Dominic Bechard and Sam Ashenden and won 6-2, 6-4 to seal a 2-1 comeback and the US men’s first tie win in Doha.
| C. Humphreys F. Osses Konig | 3 | 3 |
| T. Brown A. Melisi | 6 | 6 |
| M. Segura V. Di Francesco | 6 | 6 |
| E. Navarro M. Zelba | 1 | 2 |
| R. Ruiz Alvarez J. De Armas | 6 | 6 |
| D. Bechard S. Ashenden | 2 | 4 |
Day 6: Finishing Strong Against the Hosts
On finals day, on Grand Stand 2 against the host nation, the Americans saved their best for last. Matías Segura and Vinny Di Francesco produced the thriller of the week against Rashed Nawaf and Mashari Nawaf. They lost a marathon first-set tiebreak 7-6 (10-8), then refused to fold, winning a tense second set 7-5 and running away with the decider 6-1 in a turnaround built on fitness, composure and belief.
Raul Ruiz and Jose De Armas then did it again. One day after sealing the Australia comeback, they were clinical against Rayan Abdulla Aljufairi and Mohammed Al Khanji, winning 6-1, 6-3 to clinch 13th place and a second straight tie win, ending the World Cup on a high.
| R. Nawaf M. Nawaf | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| M. Segura V. Di Francesco | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| R. Aljufairi M. Al Khanji | 1 | 3 |
| R. Ruiz Alvarez J. De Armas | 6 | 6 |
Built for What Comes Next
The US men’s team leaves Doha with real momentum. Segura and Di Francesco emerged as a go-to partnership, winning back-to-back rubbers to close the event. Ruiz and De Armas became the closers, clinching both tie wins on the final two days. And across the week, pairs pushed Brazil and Mexico to deciding sets and forced a third set against Paraguay.
“I’m incredibly proud of how this group competed all week. We faced three of the strongest nations in the world in our group, and every day our players got sharper, braver, and closer. Finishing with two straight wins, including a comeback against Australia, shows this team’s character. We’re leaving Doha motivated and ready to keep building American padel,” said Head Coach Jaco Blanco.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our players and what we accomplished together as a team,” said Assistant Coach Jose Pablo Arizpe. “The first few days were challenging, and things didn’t go the way we had hoped. But we never gave up, we stayed together, and we finished the tournament strong, winning our last two ties against Australia and Qatar. We went head-to-head with some of the world’s strongest teams, and we proved that we are getting closer to competing with the best padel nations in the world.”
“What makes me most proud is the group we have built. It’s easy to stay together when everything is going well. What truly defines a team is how it responds to adversity, and this group showed incredible character, commitment and unity through the toughest moments,” Arizpe added. “Now we have a clear goal: to work harder than ever over the next two years and fight for a place among the top eight teams in the world. This is just the beginning. The future of American padel is something we will build together.”
Men’s Team
Matías Segura
Chris Humphreys
Felipe Osses-Konig
Vinny Di Francesco
Jose De Armas
Raul Ruiz
Sebastian Castaneda
Daniel Fernandez
Delegate: Mario Guevara
Head Coach: Jaco Blanco
Asst Coach: Jose Arizpe
Psycho Bunny proudly sponsors the US National Teams, which will compete in their custom-designed uniforms to represent the United States on the international stage.