Ari Sánchez

Ariana Sánchez Fallada, born on 19 July 1997 in Reus, Catalonia, is an outstanding Spanish professional padel player. She currently holds first place in the Premier Padel ranking and, together with Paula Josemaría, forms the world's number one pair.

Sporting career

Before joining the World Padel Tour (WPT), Ariana played as an amateur with Marta Ortega. In 2016 she made her professional debut on the WPT, starting the season with Tamara Icardo and later resuming her partnership with Ortega. That same year she also competed with Paula Eyheraguibel in Catalan Federation tournaments.

2017 was a milestone in her career when, with Marta Ortega, she won the Cantabria Open, the first tournament of the season, beating Elisabeth Amatriaín and Patricia Llaguno in the final. Although they were a hard pair to beat, they did not reach another final until the Master Final, where they lost to the Sánchez Alayeto twins.

In 2018 they continued together, reaching seven semi-finals and two finals, at the Valencia Master and the Granada Open, without winning the title. At the end of the season, Ariana joined forces with Alejandra Salazar for 2019, winning five WPT titles and becoming the second-best pair in the ranking, behind only Marta Marrero and Marta Ortega.

Since 2021 she has played alongside Paula Josemaría. Although they were not initially considered favourites, they proved their worth by winning multiple tournaments, establishing themselves as the best pair on the tour in 2023 and 2024.

Career highlights

Ariana Sánchez has won numerous titles on the World Padel Tour and Premier Padel. Her most notable achievements include the 2019 Master Final, multiple titles in 2021 and 2022 with Paula Josemaría, and total dominance in 2023 and 2024, where they won most of the tournaments, including Majors such as Qatar, Rome and Paris. She has also been two-time world champion with the Spanish team in 2021 and 2022.

Education

Alongside her sporting career, Ariana is studying Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at Camilo José Cela University and Physiotherapy at the University of Barcelona, aiming to link her professional future to the world of sport.

Known as «Magic Ari» for her skill and style of play, Ariana Sánchez continues to leave her mark on the world of padel, combining her passion on court with a solid academic background.