Francisca Bragança, a padel athlete from Guimarães, is motivated to participate in this year's edition of Master Padel in Guimarães, considering that playing at home is an especially positive factor. The 17-year-old has already participated in previous editions of the tournament and highlights the atmosphere provided by the Guimarães audience, expressing her enthusiasm for competing close to her people.
Regarding expectations for the competition, Francisca believes her participation will go well, although she acknowledges having recently gone through a more difficult phase. The athlete emphasizes the high competitive level of the tournament, noting that there are very strong pairs competing, as was the case the previous year.
Francisca's journey in padel began in 2022, influenced by her brother and parents, and since then she trains practically every day, balancing sports practice with her school studies. In terms of achievements, she was the national runner-up in 2023 and represented Portugal at the World Championship in Paraguay, where the team finished in seventh place. In 2025, she again wore the national team jersey at the World Championship in Reus, where Portugal was the world vice-champion in teams and she personally finished in fourth place in the doubles category, a result she considers the greatest joy of her career.
Francisca extends an invitation to the public to fill São Mamede Field and support the most decisive matches, especially valuing Guimarães Castle as the backdrop for the competition. The young athlete also offers advice to those taking their first steps in padel, recommending motivation and constant training as the path to improvement.
