The Reserve Cup returned to Marbella's Puente Romano Beach Resort from 18 to 20 June for the second 2026 edition of the series, following its Miami debut earlier in the season. For the first time in the event's history, women competed - six players sharing the $700,000 prize pool and the Manolo Santana centre court alongside the usual cast of men's top-10 stars. On day one, Carlos Alcaraz turned up to watch from the stands. The event was officially announced in advance of the June dates, with broadcast coverage on DAZN worldwide and Mediaset España.
Team Sierra Blanca Estates, captained by Arturo Coello, beat Team Reserve, led by Alejandro Galán, across the three days. The format's signature quirk - no pair can be repeated across days - meant coaches Juan Martín Díaz and Seba Nerone had to make new combinations each day. The men's final saw Coello and Javi Garrido beat Galán and Leo Augsburger 6-3, 6-4. Both Coello and Lara Arruabarrena were named MVPs.
The match that will linger longest, though, was in the women's draw. Ale Alonso and Arruabarrena came from a set down to beat Alejandra Salazar and Tamara Icardo 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 in a super tiebreak. That is serious, high-quality padel by any measure.
What the women's draw actually changes#
The Reserve Cup is private, invitation-only, and backed by serious money. It runs at one of Europe's best-known resort venues with a viewing audience that extends well beyond the usual padel circuit followers. Adding women was not driven by tour regulations or a contractual requirement - it was a choice. That choice signals where the premium end of the sport is heading.
Women's padel has grown faster than most clubs anticipated. Courts across Portugal and Spain are seeing women account for a rising share of bookings, and prize funds on the FIP and Premier Padel tours have been climbing steadily. The Reserve Cup putting women on the same court, in the same week, for the same audience sends a clear message: the sport's most visible private events now need both genders to feel complete.
There is also a Portugal-specific note here. Sofía Araújo, from Lisbon and the first Portuguese player of either gender to reach the global top 10 in padel, stepped in at the last minute after Delfi Brea withdrew. She competed in the opening women's match and gave this tournament a connection to Portuguese padel that went well beyond spectating.
The gear question: what this event means for your kit choices#
Events like the Reserve Cup do something specific for the market. They put padel in front of audiences who do not already follow the circuit - tennis fans who turned up because Alcaraz was there, lifestyle audiences drawn by Marbella and Puente Romano. That audience creates a predictable pattern: a post-event spike in padel interest, searches for rackets, and a fair proportion of those searches landing on pre-owned options rather than full retail prices.
A solid pre-owned padel racket from a top brand in good condition typically costs roughly half the retail price of the current season's equivalent model. The performance gap is smaller than the price gap, which is why pre-owned is often where sensible new players start.
Here is a practical starter list for anyone who watched the Reserve Cup and wants to get on court:
| What you need | What to look for pre-owned | Rough budget |
|---|---|---|
| Racket | Mid-level from Nox, Bullpadel, Adidas, Head | €60-€130 |
| Padel shoes | Court-specific (not tennis shoes) | €40-€90 |
| Bag | Any padel bag with racket space | €20-€50 |
| Overgrip | Buy new - it is cheap and worth it | €3-€5 |
Browse what is currently listed on the EpicRackets padel marketplace - stock turns over quickly after events like this.
If you are thinking about selling#
If you have women's padel kit sitting unused, now is a good time to list it. The Reserve Cup has driven fresh interest from players who are not yet ready to spend €250 or more on a new racket but are ready to commit to something. Well-maintained mid-tier gear from the past two or three seasons is exactly what that buyer is looking for.
The same logic applies if you are planning an upgrade on the men's side. The visibility that events like this generate translates into real market demand on pre-owned platforms - that demand is an opportunity if you are thinking about moving on a racket you have outgrown. List your gear on EpicRackets and reach players who are actively shopping.
Padel's premium circuit now looks incomplete without women. What started as an experiment at Marbella this June may well set the template for what invitation padel events look like from here on.
