Former Tennis Players Turn Padel Breakthrough into Asian Games Medal

The Indonesian pair advanced to the gold-medal match with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over the Philippines’ Danna Abad and Joshea Malazarte at Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center in Higashi, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, on Friday, October 2, 2026.

“For many people in Indonesia, padel is often dismissed as a FOMO sport, a passing trend. But now we can prove that we are bringing home a medal,” Fadona said after the match, as quoted by Antara.

The achievement marks a significant milestone for the pair, both of whom began their careers as tennis players before deciding to switch to padel. The transition was driven by their belief that the emerging sport offered greater opportunities for international success.

Fitriani said she was initially introduced to padel by Fadona and quickly developed a passion for the game. Combined with the limited number of domestic tennis tournaments, the experience encouraged her to pursue the sport more seriously.

Fadona said the decision to change disciplines was also motivated by the potential they saw in padel. “We saw that we had a much bigger opportunity in padel than in tennis. That’s why we made the switch and committed ourselves fully to reaching this level,” she revealed.

Although both players brought a strong tennis foundation to padel, adapting to the sport required considerable effort. Fadona said elements such as using the glass walls, game strategy, and court positioning demanded extensive learning and adjustment.

“It can be both easy and difficult. Our tennis background helped, but learning how to use the glass, understanding the gameplay, and positioning ourselves properly took time. We've been working on it for almost two years,” she emphasized.

Skills such as volleys, forehands, backhands, and smashes, however, transferred more naturally from tennis and helped accelerate their development. For Fitriani and Fadona, reaching the Asian Games final serves as evidence that padel is capable of producing high-level international achievements rather than simply being viewed as a recreational activity.

The accomplishment is particularly meaningful given their journey from competitive tennis to becoming medal contenders in a new sport. “We never expected this. We’re proud, happy, and overwhelmed with emotion. To think that padel could bring us to this point is incredible,” Fadona concluded.

The Indonesian duo will now await the winner of the other semifinal between fellow Indonesians Putria Novela and Beatrice Gumulya and Japan’s Saki Tsukamoto and Kae Tokumoto to determine their opponents in the final. ***