Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo continue their run at the Paris Major 2026. The fourth seed had to battle through three sets to overcome Marina Guinart and Alejandra Alonso, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. A hard-fought victory that opens the door to the semi-finals, where they will face Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea, the top seeds. After the match, the two Spaniards discussed their partnership, the pressure surrounding them, and this new challenge against the top seeds in the draw. 

"Little by little, we are finding our rhythm."

Nothing has been easy for  Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo Trailing after losing the first set, the Spanish women had to turn things around to finally win in three sets.

As they left the track, relief was definitely present.

"I'm so happy to have won this match, to be in another semi-final, and to continue fighting alongside Martina. Little by little, we're finding our rhythm as a pair."

A still recent partnership, but one that is already generating a lot of anticipation. Despite their youth, the two players display a remarkable maturity on the court.

Growing up faster than others

When asked about this impression of precocious maturity, they explain that it is also a direct consequence of their daily lives as professional players.

"We had to adapt to this world at a very young age. If you don't mature, you fall far behind. We experience things that an 18- or 20-year-old wouldn't normally experience."

Separation from family, sacrifices, travel, pressure to perform: all these elements inevitably accelerate learning.

The staff also plays an important role. Coaches, who are familiar with these situations, can anticipate certain difficulties and prepare the players for what they will encounter.

Claudia Fernández: "I prefer not to look at social media."

Since the formation of this pair and their first major results,  Fernández and Calvo are being closely watched. Expectations have increased even further with their recent performances.

Claudia Fernández does not hide the fact that this exposure can sometimes be difficult to manage.

"Everyone thinks we're going to win tournaments every week. But we can lose in any round because everyone is playing so well."

His solution is quite radical: to distance himself from social media.

"I don't look at social media much. When I do, I see something negative and it hurts me, so I prefer not to look at it at all."

With a touch of humor, she even adds that some reactions make her "want to kill everyone," before reminding everyone that they now know that criticism is part of the game.

Why does Spain produce so much young talent?

The press conference also addressed Spain's dominance in world padel. For both players, the explanation lies primarily in the work done from the youth levels.

"For me, it's very clear. It's thanks to the entire structure underneath and the youth circuit."

The possibility of  to compete very regularly from the age of 9 or 10  According to them, this allows young Spaniards to quickly set goals and, above all, to accumulate considerable experience.

And playing at Roland-Garros remains something special.

"This is a tournament we always want to come to. It's a date marked on the calendar. Playing here is very special."

Triay / Brea in the semi-final: a new XXL challenge

We will now need to recover quickly. In the semi-final,  The fourth seed will face Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea, the first seed. .

A duel that Fernández and Calvo already know and whose difficulty they are perfectly aware of.

"It's going to be very difficult, as always."

After their hard-fought quarter-final, the priority is now simple: to recover.

"I'm still thinking about the match we just won because we suffered so much. Now we need to rest well, recover our energy, and try to be at our best tomorrow."

A past defeat that has not been forgotten.

This new confrontation against Triay/Brea also has a special dimension. The young Spanish players have already experienced a  a particularly hard defeat to swallow against this pair , after having come very close to concluding.

An experience they are not trying to erase.

"You learn that until the ball has bounced twice and you've won the match, it's not over."

The setback experienced that day had left its mark.

"I wouldn't want to go through that again. The aftermath was quite tough. But it's part of the sport and the journey."

In hindsight, however, they prefer to remember their ability to have pushed one of the very best pairs in the world to its limits.

"To reach this score against such a pair means we had done a lot of things right. They started to row, row, and row some more. And closing out matches is one of the hardest things."

This time,  Fernández and Calvo have a new chance .

"The good thing is that we have another opportunity this week. We're going to give it our all to try and take advantage of it."

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.

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