Pickleball
Spectacular Showdown at the Pickle Pro Tour’s Málaga Spanish Open
The Plaza de la Marina hosted the PRO category finals,
marking a thrilling conclusion to the second stop of the Pickle Pro Tour calendar.
The tournament, which took place over an intense weekend, utilized the host club’s outdoor courts at the Torremolinos Sports Village, along with the main court set up in the Plaza de la Marina. It brought together 470 players from 15 nationalities, underscoring the international appeal of the growing circuit. Over three days of competition, 691 matches were played, reflecting both the competitive depth and structural growth of the event.
After a Saturday disrupted by rain and organizational adjustments, the final day proceeded smoothly on the main court. Only a brief shower appeared during the closing moments of the mixed doubles PRO final, which wrapped up the tournament in style.
A major highlight was the debut of PickleVAR at this event, used in every final at least once. The video review system was well received by players and fans alike, reinforcing the Pickle Pro Tour’s commitment to innovation and professionalization in pickleball.
On the competitive front, anticipation built around a potential triple crown for both Ignasi de Rueda and María Costantino, who entered Sunday with chances to win three titles in Málaga. Neither achieved the feat, but they did triumph together in the mixed doubles PRO final, defeating Katie Morris and Mateusz Matysik in the last match of the day.
In women’s singles PRO, Britain’s Katie Morris claimed the title by defeating María Costantino, thereby maintaining her lead in the circuit rankings. In men’s singles PRO, the champion was Mauro García from Cádiz, who overcame Ignasi de Rueda in the final. The women’s doubles PRO final ended with victory for the Serbian Marina Sicic and Polish Karolina Owczarek, who beat Sabrina Méndez and María Costantino. The Madrid-born and Málaga-born pair, respectively, fought hard until the last point, making it one of the most spectacular finals of the day.
In men’s doubles PRO, the champions were Poland’s Mateusz Matysik and Spain’s Claudio Quiñones (who resides in the United States), after defeating England’s Louis Laville and Catalonia’s Ignasi de Rueda.
Tournament organizers praised the event’s success on both competitive and organizational fronts. “Málaga has once again demonstrated the potential of pickleball and the growth of the circuit. We had a very high participation rate with outstanding national and international talent, and a main court where we could deliver the spectacular final day that athletes and fans deserved after a tough weekend. We managed to develop the event without any cancellations,” they said.
The Pickle Pro Tour now shifts focus to its next stop, the Madrid Open, scheduled from June 19 to 21.
