Araujo / Ortega: "We weren't even aware that we had saved so many match points"

Sofia Araujo and Marta Ortega have reached the semifinals of the Paris Major 2026. The fifth seed defeated Bea González and Claudia Jensen, the second seeds, in a thrilling quarterfinal: 2-6, 7-6, 7-6. After a difficult first set and saving several match points, the Spaniard and the Portuguese found the strength to turn around a match that seemed to be slipping away from them. In their post-match press conference, they emphasized one key element: mental strength.

"We knew how to suffer"

This victory definitely had a special flavor. Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo were coming off a defeat against the same pair in the previous tournament in Madrid, in conditions which they did not like.

Rather than forgetting this failure, they chose to use it.

"We were coming off a difficult tournament because we lost to them in a way we didn't like. But it helped us change some things."

At Roland-Garros, the scenario could have plunged them back into their difficulties. After losing the first set, they had to adapt to the situation. 6/2 Ortega/Araujo were put under pressure in the next two sets.

But this time, they never gave up.

“We fought until the very end, even when things were very difficult. We were down a break, then behind again in the tie-break. We had several match points against us. The important thing to remember is that we knew how to suffer and, in the end, we were rewarded.”

"We weren't even aware that we had saved so many match points."

One of the most striking aspects of this quarter-final remains precisely the ability of Ortega / Araujo to stay in their bubble when defeat was very close.

A carefully considered approach with their coach: Forget the score as much as possible to stay focused on the game plan .

“We weren’t aware that we had saved so many match points. We worked a lot on putting the score aside, focusing on tactics, and playing without thinking about nerves or pressure.”

After a first round largely dominated by their opponents, the watchword had become almost very simple: rediscovering pleasure .

“After a bad first set, we said to ourselves, ‘Come on, let’s enjoy this, let’s try something.’ I think today, the difference was made in the mental aspect.”

Can this mental strength be trained?

The question was inevitable after such a scenario. Is this ability to stay alive when all seems lost innate or can it be developed?

For Araujo, it's a bit of both.

"I think part of it is within you. We are both fighters. But these are also things that can be worked on."

The comparison with Madrid is quite revealing. During their previous encounter, the two players admitted to not having displayed the same attitude.

“Last week, things didn’t go as we wanted, but we also didn’t fight to the very end. Our attitude wasn’t good, and the result showed it.”

A few days later, the contrast is striking: A first set lost, several very compromised situations, and yet a qualification for the semi-finals. .

There's no question of thinking about the World Cup

With upcoming international competitions, such a performance can certainly be significant. However, both players insist they did not take to the track with the intention of sending a message ahead of the World Championships.

The first objective was much more immediate.

“We weren’t thinking about the World Championships at all when we stepped onto the track. Our primary goal was to perform better than last week. That was the first objective.”

Once this milestone was reached, the ambition naturally changed.

"Once we managed to play better, the goal was to win. We told ourselves: let's go all out because we can do it."

Araujo also emphasizes the importance of his partner in moments when his level of play was lower.

"During times when I wasn't feeling completely well, Sofi helped me a lot, and it's thanks to her that I was able to get better and better."

Ortega: "For me, the best partner is Sofi."

This complementarity was precisely at the heart of the last part of the exchange. Ortega and Araujo present two different playing profiles , whereas some pairs on the circuit may seem to be built more around similar qualities.

For Marta Ortega, however, there is no point in looking for a universal formula.

"For me, the best partner there is is Sofi. She's my partner, and the best team we can have is our own."

However, she acknowledges the evolution of women's padel towards increasingly well-rounded players.

"Today, padel requires a very well-rounded player: an excellent defender, an excellent attacker, and great mental stability."

But the differences are precisely what makes the circuit so rich.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.