Doha, November 03 (QNA) - The group stage of the FIP Padel World Cup Qatar 2026 got underway on Monday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, marking the third time Qatar has hosted the tournament. A total of 32 national teams are competing in the men's and women's events.

By hosting the Padel World Cup for the third time, Doha is demonstrating its capacity to stage major international sporting events, drawing on its world-class facilities, sports infrastructure and organizational capabilities, which have established the city as a leading destination for international competitions.

The opening day featured plenty of excitement and high-quality action, with several of the tournament favorites making strong starts in the first round of group-stage matches. The matches attracted large crowds and extensive media coverage, underscoring Qatar's leading role in promoting the growth of padel in the region and around the world.

In the men's competition, defending champions Argentina made a commanding start in Group A, sweeping Australia 3-0 to underline their determination to retain the title.

Argentina won the previous edition, held in Doha in 2024, defeating Spain in the final to claim their 12th title in the tournament's history and extend their record as the most successful men's team in the competition.

Also in Group A, the Netherlands edged France 2-1.

In Group B, Spain, runners-up in the previous edition, overcame Sweden 3-0, while Paraguay defeated the United Arab Emirates by the same score.

Group C featured a series of closely contested encounters and a spirited performance by host nation Qatar. However, Portugal's greater experience proved decisive as the visitors defeated the Qatari team, known as Al Adaam, 3-0.

Pedro Araujo and Pedro Graça defeated Qatar's Mohamed Saadoun and Hassan Wali 6-2, 6-2. Diego Jesus and Pedro Leal then beat Rashid Nawaf and Meshari Nawaf 6-4, 6-4, before Nuno Deus and Miguel Deus completed the clean sweep with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ryan Al Jufairi and Issa Shanan.

Qatar will face Chile in the second round of group-stage matches on Tuesday.

In Group D, Italy secured an important 3-0 victory over the United States, while Brazil defeated Mexico by the same score.

In the women's competition, defending champions Spain signaled their readiness to retain the title with a convincing 3-0 victory over Germany in Group A. Brazil also defeated Great Britain 3-0 in the same group.

In Group B, Argentina, runners-up in the previous edition, began their campaign strongly with a 3-0 win over Chile, while France beat Belgium 2-1.

Group C saw Italy defeat Egypt 3-0, while Sweden also recorded a victory over Indonesia.

In Group D, Portugal defeated the United States 2-1, while the Netherlands swept Paraguay 3-0.

Several players from Argentina and Spain praised the exceptional scale of the Qatar 2026 edition, which boasts a record prize fund of €1.2 million, divided equally between the men's and women's competitions, making it the richest edition in the tournament's history.

Defending champions and Argentine players Agustín Tapia and Martín Di Nenno expressed their delight at returning to Doha, which also hosted the 2024 edition. They said the quality of the facilities and the climate-controlled courts at the Khalifa complex would enable them to deliver their best performances from the opening group-stage match.

Spanish players Arturo Coello and Francisco Navarro said the World Cup in Qatar is the best edition in terms of organization, facilities and the conditions surrounding the competition. They also expressed their ambition to lift the title in Doha. (QNA)