It’s Gala’s Night: Historic Quarterfinal Against Yanguas-Nieto
The NextGen derby was a showcase of emerging talent. On the court, Spain’s Alonso Rodriguez and David Gala, known as “the boys from Krakow” and key players in Spain’s gold medal at the 2023 European Games in Poland, faced each other.
Match Details and Players
- Rodriguez partnered with left-handed Argentinian Ignacio Juani Rubini.
- Gala teamed up with Madrilenian Pablo Garcia.
- The match took place on Court 2 of the Rafa Nadal Academy.
- All four players are young talents: Gala and Rubini born in 2006, Rodriguez and Garcia in 2003.
Match Highlights
The players demonstrated impressive padel skills, reflecting their recent growth. Gala and Garcia had already eliminated the fifth seeds, Di Nenno-Augsburger, showcasing their strong form from the CUPRA FIP Tour, where Garcia claimed three consecutive titles and Gala two.
The final score was 6–4, 7–6, after a significant comeback by Rodriguez-Rubini in the second set leading to a tiebreak. The close score highlighted the high level of competition among these rising stars.
“David Gala has been called ‘the chosen one’ and the brightest gem of Spain’s new generation.”
Significance of the Result
This victory is the most important achievement in the careers of both Gala and Garcia so far. Before the FIP World Cup Pairs, Gala’s best result was a quarterfinal (with Campagnolo) at Tarragona P1 2025, where they lost 6–2, 6–2 to Yanguas-Nieto.
Author’s Summary
This match marks a breakthrough for Gala and Garcia, underlining their emergence as key figures in Spain’s rising padel generation.