The 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto are set to host a high-stakes mixed doubles padel tournament, featuring twelve elite pairs competing at the Parco Mediterraneo Salinella from August 23 to 28. With the official draw now complete, all eyes are on the top-seeded contenders as they vie for the title in this prestigious international event.
The Top Contenders and Draw Structure
The competition is highlighted by two standout stars: Portugal’s Sofia Araujo (ranked No. 8 in the FIP rankings) and Italy’s Giulia Dal Pozzo (ranked No. 28). Araujo enters the tournament with significant momentum, having reached the final of the Premier Padel P1 in Valencia this June, alongside victories at the 2025 Bordeaux P2 and the 2024 P2 events in Genoa and Newgiza. Dal Pozzo is currently experiencing a career-defining season, highlighted by semi-final appearances at both the Rome Major and the Valladolid P2.
To ensure a competitive balance, the four top-seeded pairs have been granted a bye in the first round, allowing them to bypass the opening matches on August 23 and enter the tournament directly in the quarter-finals. The seeds are positioned as follows:
- Sofia and Pedro Araujo (No. 1 Seed): Positioned in the top half of the draw, the Portuguese siblings will face the winners of the match between Sergis Kyratzis-Maria Siopacha (Cyprus) and Zeynep Kocak-Unsal Ataol Toker (Türkiye).
- Giulia Dal Pozzo and Marco Cassetta (No. 2 Seed): Located in the bottom half of the bracket, this Italian duo will open their campaign against either Donika Bashota-Lavdrim Krasniqi (Kosovo) or Gianluca Lamberto Pelonzi-Ivanka Simonivic (Montenegro).
- Louise Bahurel and Dylan Guichard (No. 3 Seed): Representing France, this pair is also in the bottom half and will await the winners of the match between Simon Javorsek-Tina Lah (Slovenia) and Uros Acimov-Ana Mirkovic (Serbia).
- Dora Chamli and Mehdi Elloumi (No. 4 Seed): The Tunisian duo rounds out the top seeds in the top half of the draw. They are set to face the winners of the round-of-16 clash between Moura Hakim-Youssef Hossam (Egypt) and the Greek pair of Pavlos-Louis Balafas and Christina-Stylani Ntanou.
With the draw finalized, the stage is set for an intense week of play in Taranto as these twelve teams fight for the Mediterranean Games crown.
