We were waiting Ari Sánchez and Paula Josémaria for a third consecutive final at Roland-Garros. But Philippe Chatrier witnessed a huge turnaround: it was Marta Ortega and Tamara Icardo, the world number 5 pair, who knocked out the double defending champions and undefeated here in Paris to validate their place in the final of the Paris Major 2025.

A first set reversed in the tie-break

The start of the match was in the world No. 2's favor. Opportunistic, they broke at 3/2, carried by a very comfortable Ari Sánchez from the baseline and an increasingly aggressive Paula Josemaría. Quickly trailing 5/2, Ortega and Icardo seemed to have their backs to the wall... but the momentum reversed. Sharper at the net (30 winners against 27), they nibbled away at their deficit. Icardo took the upper hand in his diagonal against Ari, who was making a series of errors. As they did against González / Fernández in the quarterfinals, Ortega and Icardo turned the tide and pocketed the tie-break 7/4.

Imperial Icardo in hot moments

The second set followed the same pattern. Ari and Paula broke at 2/2, but the world No. 5 Spaniards didn't give up. Uncompromising in defense, they reversed several interminable rallies and finally regained the net. Carried by an excellent Tamara Icardo, they break and then snatch the set 6/4 in a final decisive game. Result: victory 7/6 6/4 and a resounding qualification for the final.

A turning point for both pairs

For Ortega and Icardo, it's a huge rebound. After their elimination in the first round in Madrid P1, they overthrow one of the best pairs on the planet. Ortega returns to the final in Paris, two years after the one he played with Gemma Triay.

For Sánchez and Josémaria, on the other hand, the spiral is worrying: eliminated in the quarterfinals in Málaga, Bordeaux and Madrid, they followed with a defeat in the semifinals. Far from their best, they leave doubts hanging over their future together. The rumor of a possible separation is seriously starting to gain momentum.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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