It's now official: Andrea Ustero et Sofia Araújo will form a new team on the women's tour. The announcement was made this Friday morning, with a first appearance scheduled for May 19 at the tournament Paraguay.

Ranked respectively 8e et 9e world, Ustero and Araújo join forces almost naturally after the recent officialization of the pair Martita Ortega / Alejandra Alonso. News that surprised observers, as this partnership represents a real promotion for Alonso, today 14e global, and former partner ofAlix Collombon, the French number 1.

With this new dynamic, Alejandra Alonso thus joined Martita Ortega, 7th in the world ranking, whileAndrea Ustero find in Sofia Araújo an experienced and ambitious partner.

Number 4 seed status for Ustero and Araújo

The pair Ustero / Araújo will begin its collaboration with a major advantage: it will be number 4 seed in Paraguay. A strategic positioning that will allow them to avoid the top three pairs in the world rankings until semi-finals, in case of a good run.

Seba Nerone and Pablo Aymá on the baton

In their official communication, Usterus et Araújo also announced that they would be accompanied by two well-known figures in padel: Pablo Aymá et Seba Nerone.

  • Pablo Aymá will continue to supervise Andrea Ustero, with whom he has been working for several months.
  • Seba Nerone, for his part, will continue his work alongside Sofia Araújo.

It will be interesting to see how these two experienced coaches share the roles on the benches during the next competitions.

A promising pair but adjustments to be expected

On paper, the association Ustero / Araújo offers offensive potential undeniable. With a variety of shots and an ability to close out points quickly, they could quickly become one of the strongest pairs on the tour.

However, some adjustments will be necessary. For Sofia Araújo, the change will be notable: evolving with a young left-hander like Usterus is very different from its previous partnership with Alejandra Salazar, with a more structured style.
As for Andrea Ustero, this new association offers her a great opportunity to progress alongside a more experienced player, capable of bringing even more consistency than her former partner Alejandra Alonso.

It may take a little time for this new pair to find their groove, but their potential suggests a great adventure to follow from the tournament in Paraguay.

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.

On the same subject

Tags