Sanchez Pestana and Escorihuela win tense Under-18 final in Abidjan

Marcos Sanchez Pestana and Victor Escorihuela Dealbert turned a dominant week into a tense finish in Abidjan, taking the Under-18 boys title after beating Alejandro Rebollo Palacios and Alejandro Araiz Vazquez 7-6, 7-6 in the final. The Spanish pair had looked untouchable in the semi-finals, sweeping Enzo Daher and Riwan Riwan Daher 6-1, 6-0, then had to show a different kind of control when the championship match tightened into two tie-break sets.

That contrast is what made the Abidjan win stand out. Sanchez Pestana and Escorihuela Dealbert did not just roll through the draw, they answered pressure when the title was on the line, and that is the sort of result that gives a junior tournament weight beyond the scoreboard. In a sport where development matters as much as trophies, the ability to follow a one-sided semi-final with a composed, high-level final is a strong marker.

The event itself reflected that bigger picture. FIP Promises Abidjan ran from 2 July to 5 July, with qualification scheduled for 2 July if needed and the main draw beginning on 3 July. FIP listed five match courts, five practice courts, indoor conditions and a 32-team main draw in each category, all of which pointed to a fully built international stop rather than a short-term local showcase.

Abidjan has now hosted three FIP events in quick succession. FIP Silver Ivory Coast I ran from 1 April to 5 April at Central Tennis Club, then FIP Gold Abidjan followed from 23 June to 28 June with €50,000 in prize money, before the junior Promises event opened July. That sequence has given the city exposure across senior and youth levels, and it has done so fast enough to make Abidjan feel less like a destination on a calendar and more like a developing node in African padel.

FIP has described Ivory Coast as continuing to confirm its key role in the global expansion of the sport, and its NextGen framing in Abidjan pointed to the public visibility of emerging talent. The federation directory also places the Ivory Coast Tennis Federation at the center of the country’s setup, with KOYO SYLVERE listed as the contact name, anchoring the tournament burst inside an official national structure as West African padel gains a more regular stage.