The United States will compete at the 2026 FISU World University Padel Championship, set to run July 7-11 at PSM Fantasy Club in Malaga, Spain. Hosted by the University of Malaga, and managed by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the International Padel Federation (FIP) as part of the broader FISU World University Games, the championship brings together student-athletes from more than 20 countries for the sport’s premier university-level competition. Competition runs across men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

Leading the delegation is Manuel Avina, USPA Board Member, who will serve as Team Delegate in Malaga. Representing the USA on court are four student-athletes who bring a mix of USPA Circuit experience and collegiate competition history: Leonardo Flores, Sergio Talero, Delfina Inza, and Emma Avina.

Meet the players

Delfina Inza

Delfina Inza has become one of the most recognizable names in American junior padel over the past two years. She was part of the U18 girls’ pairing that competed at the 2025 FIP Junior World Cup qualifying phase in Costa Daurada, and she also represented the USA at the America Padel Cup in 2025 and 2026. Her ability to perform under pressure has made her a reliable presence on any national squad she joins. For Delfina, Malaga is another step in what has become a well-traveled competitive career before she’s out of her teens. She has competed in Spain, Chile, and Brazil while balancing her studies, and she arrives at the FISU Championship with more international court time than most players her age.

Emma Avina

Emma Avina has been a fixture on the USPA junior circuit for several years and has grown steadily into one of the top female juniors in the country. She competed at the Padel America Junior Circuit Finals in San Diego and also represented the US National Junior Team alongside Delfina in Costa Daurada in 2025. Most recently, she claimed the Women’s title at the inaugural National Collegiate Padel Championships, partnering with Montserrat Tolentino to give Longhorn Padel (University of Texas) a historic double on the day. That result, at the first-ever collegiate national championship in the sport, is a good marker of where Emma’s game is right now. She comes into Malaga with momentum and a clear appetite for competing on the big stage.

Leonardo Flores and Sergio Talero

Leonardo Flores and Sergio Talero both competed at the inaugural National Collegiate Padel Championships, the first national-level collegiate padel competition held in the United States. Bringing a refined, aggressive partnership to the court, they are ready to test that chemistry against the world’s best. That shared experience in the collegiate space connects them to this FISU delegation, a championship built specifically for international student-athletes.

Malaga will be their first major international appearance, and that’s worth something on its own. For two players who have come up through the USPA circuit ecosystem, stepping onto a court against student-athletes from Spain, Argentina, and other padel-developed nations is exactly the kind of exposure that accelerates development. They arrive not as seasoned internationals but as competitors ready to find out where their game stands against the world’s best university players.

About the championship

The FISU World University Padel Championship gives student-athletes a high-level international stage at a point in their careers when access to such competition is hard to come by. For American players in particular, who may not yet be competing on the FIP Tour or regularly earning international ranking points, tournaments like this one offer something concrete: the chance to see how their game translates against players from Spain, Argentina, France, and other countries where padel has decades of grassroots history.

The competition is organized by the University of Malaga and takes place at PSM Fantasy Club, a well-equipped venue in a city that has become one of Spain’s most active padel markets. Players compete in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, giving the USA National Team multiple opportunities to earn results across the draw.

Building the international pathway

American padel’s growth at the grassroots and competitive levels has been well documented, but closing the gap with the world’s top nations requires more than just infrastructure and investment at home. It requires repetition on the international stage, matches against players who grew up with the sport, and the kind of experience that only comes from actually competing abroad. That is what Malaga offers this group.

For Delfina and Emma, this is the next chapter of an international journey that began in the junior ranks, while for Leonardo and Sergio, it marks a pivotal debut on the global stage. Competing now as university students rather than youth players marks a real step up. The format changes, the margins tighten, and the opponents are older and more experienced. That is the environment where development happens fastest.

The USPA continues to build out its pathway for players at every level, from first-time club members to national team athletes competing on the world stage. The FISU World University Padel Championship fits squarely into that pathway. It is not just an opportunity for four American students to play padel in Spain. It is a chance to represent a program that is steadily earning its place in the international conversation.

Event details

Tournament: 2026 FISU World University Padel Championship
Competition dates: July 7-11, 2026
Venue: PSM Fantasy Club, Malaga, Spain
Organizer: University of Malaga / FISU / FIP
Formats: Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles