VILLENA/STARNBERG, March 14, 2026
One of Spain’s most prestigious junior tournaments is once again underway at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in Villena. The ITF J300 Villena – Memorial Eduardo Ferrero the first junior tournament ever organized in Spain, continues to serve as a key platform for the world’s best under-18 players.
The event was originally launched at the academy founded by former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero—then known as Equelite—when Ferrero himself was still training there as a young player. Since then, the tournament has been held annually and has grown into the highest-grade junior competition in Spain, featuring a larger draw than most events on the circuit. Today, it is considered a must-play stop for the best junior players seeking valuable ranking points and momentum ahead of major tournaments such as the junior events at Roland Garros.
With players from more than 35 nations competing this year, the tournament offers young prospects the opportunity to collect crucial points and improve their ranking positions. It also provides an important benchmark for Spain’s rising tennis talents, often referred to as the “Armada junior.”
The event’s impressive list of former participants includes several Spanish stars who later reached the professional circuit, such as Carlos Alcaraz, Paula Badosa, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Nicolas Almagro, Rebeka Masarova, Pablo Andujar, Cristina Bucșa and Jaume Munar. International players who have gone on to reach the top levels of the professional game have also featured in the latter stages of the tournament, including Andrey Rublev, Diana Shnaider and Arthur Fils.
Saturday’s first-round matches were heavily influenced by strong winds, which made conditions difficult and rewarded the players who adapted best and showed resilience on court. The final qualifying matches will be decided on Sunday, determining which players will advance to the main draw to compete against some of the top under-18 talents on the international circuit.
Among the highest-ranked Spanish players in the field are Tito Chavez, currently No. 22 in the junior boys’ rankings, and Paola Pinera, ranked No. 50 in the girls’ standings.
The tournament remains open to the public and will run through Saturday, March 21, offering a unique opportunity to witness the future stars of tennis and highlighting the continued strength of Spanish tennis development.
