The next two weeks in American padel are going to be busy ones. On March 19 and 20, the country’s top players will take to the courts at Urban Padel in Doral, Florida, competing in the USPA Wild Card Tournament for the chance to earn entry into the Miami Premier Padel P1, one of the most prestigious events on the global padel calendar.
The main event runs March 23 – 29 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, bringing together 224 of the world’s highest-ranked players across the men’s and women’s draws. Before any of that begins, the wild card field gets its shot.
What Is the Wild Card Tournament?
The USPA Wild Card Tournament is a qualifying event held before the main Premier Padel P1 draw. Players who win the tournament earn a wild card – a direct invitation into the Miami Premier Padel P1 main draw from Tournament Director Fernando Belasteguín. It is not a traditional qualifier in the sense of ranking points or pre-assigned spots. The wild card is a personal invitation from Belasteguín himself, extended through his partnership with the USPA specifically to open doors for American talent.
Belasteguín, widely regarded as the greatest player in padel history, has been intentional about using his role as Tournament Director to invest in the game. His decision to offer the USPA wild cards reflects a genuine commitment to accelerating the sport’s development in the United States.
Belasteguín emphasized, “I am incredibly excited to support the growth of padel here in the United States, and this Wild Card Tournament is a perfect example of what that commitment looks like in action. These players have dedicated themselves to building their game and their careers, and giving them the chance to step onto the biggest stage in our sport, in front of a Miami crowd, is something I am very proud to be part of. This is how you grow a sport: by opening doors for the next generation.”
The tournament is open to men’s and women’s pairs holding USA passports. Seedings and draw selection are based on combined USPA ranking points, rewarding players who have built their competitive records on the national circuit. Matches begin Thursday, March 19, at Urban Padel, located at 11601 NW 107th St., Doral, FL 33178, and conclude Friday, March 20.
The Field
Men’s draw – seeded teams
- Vinny Di Francesco & Nico Agritelley
- Matias Segura & Aaron Segura
- Raul Ruiz & Jose De Armas
- Felipe Osses-Konig & Chris Humphreys
Women’s draw – confirmed teams
- Brittany Dubins & Marta Morga Alonso
- Sofia Adamowich & Egle Petrauskaite
The men’s field is the deepest the wild card tournament has seen, with the top seed pairing the #1 and #9 players in the USPA rankings. The women’s draw features the two strongest American pairs on the circuit right now, setting up what should be a decisive head-to-head for the wild card spot.
Why This Moment Matters
Last year’s Wild Card Tournament produced a result that no one will forget quickly. Five American pairs, three in the main draw and two in qualifying, competed at the inaugural Miami Premier Padel P1, marking the first time in history that multiple U.S. teams reached a Premier Padel event. Nico Agritelley and Vinny Di Francesco won their opening main draw match before falling in the second round. Brittany Dubins and Marta Morga made history as one of the first American women’s pairs to compete on a Premier Padel P1 court.
The 2026 edition is a chance to build on that. The Miami Premier Padel P1 main draw features 44 men’s pairs (37 direct entries, 4 qualifying pairs, and 3 wild cards) and 28 women’s pairs (23 direct entries, 4 qualifying pairs, and 1 wild card). Those wild-card spots are the ones American players are competing for this week.
Juan Arraya, Chair of the USPA Competition Committee, shared: “This is an extraordinary opportunity for American padel players, and we couldn’t be more grateful. To compete on the same stage as the best players in the world, right here in the United States, is the kind of experience that defines careers.”
The Premier Padel P1: What’s at Stake
The Miami Premier Padel P1 is the only event in the United States where every top-ranked men’s and women’s player in the world competes together for official Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour ranking points. The tournament is part of a 25-event global calendar spanning 17 countries. It followed a sold-out debut in 2025 and returns this year with expanded capacity, six courts within the same venue so players can train where they compete, and renewed ambition to set a new U.S. attendance record for padel.
For American players, competing here isn’t just about one week of results. It’s exposure to the world’s best right here in the U.S., in front of a crowd still discovering the sport. There is no better advertisement for what padel in America can become.
Tickets for the Miami Premier Padel P1 (March 23–29) are available at tickets.miamipremierpadel.com. Full tournament information and schedule updates can be found at miamipremierpadel.com.