Alejandra Salazar bids farewell at home: Movistar Arena pays tribute to the most decorated player in padel history
The Madrid-born player, 40 and with 58 titles to her name, played her last tournament in her home city: she fell to Triay-Brea (6-3, 6-3) in the Madrid P1 quarter-finals amid tears and tributes. Her career goes on with one last goal: the Premier Padel Finals in Barcelona.
Redacción PalaComparer · · 4 min read
On Friday, September 4, the Movistar Arena witnessed one of the most emotional moments in recent padel history: Alejandra Salazar, the most decorated player of all time, said goodbye to her home crowd in what was her final tournament in Madrid, the Comunidad de Madrid Premier Padel P1 by Oysho. She did it competing, the way she likes it, against the world No.1s: Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea beat her 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 13 minutes in the quarter-finals, and the 40-year-old responded with tears of gratitude to the standing ovation of the centre court.
"The day has come, but it couldn't have been a better one", Salazar said with a smile after the match, in which she partnered with Aranzazu Osoro. "I wanted to say goodbye like this, against the world number ones, after playing a high-level match and having fun. I'm proud of everything I've done."
A record-breaking career
With 58 titles, Alejandra Salazar is the winningest player in the history of the major professional circuits. Born in Madrid, she finished the 2021 and 2022 seasons as world No.1 alongside Gemma Triay, forming one of the most dominant pairings ever, and for nearly two decades she has been the great benchmark of the women's right side.
Her relevance goes beyond results. "She is a role model for the next right-side players: they will have to watch Salazar videos to learn how to play", Delfi Brea summed up in the press conference. And the generational handover is already here: this very Sunday, Triay won her sixth title of the season and reached Salazar's 58 titles in the all-time ranking, drawing level with the player she succeeded at the top.
Madrid's tribute
The tournament was not going to let her leave quietly. The organisation dedicated a tribute to Salazar on finals day on Sunday, between the women's and men's finals, in front of a packed Movistar Arena. After her last match at home, the warmest words came from those who shared the court with her: "I told her we are going to miss her a lot on this court and that I love her very much", confessed Triay, her partner during the years of absolute dominance.
The story goes on
Even though she is saying goodbye to Madrid, Salazar has not hung up her racket yet. The Madrid-born player will keep competing for the rest of the season with a clear goal: qualifying for the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals in Barcelona, the December event that brings together the top 16 of the FIP Race Ranking — a spot she would currently take, sitting 15th. Closing her career at the Finals would be the ending such a story deserves.
The legend's racket
Salazar plays this season with the Bullpadel Flow Legend Woman 2026, a model from the Flow range designed for players who want power without giving up an attacking presence from the right side. It is not in our catalog yet, but if the idea of trying a pro-style racket appeals to you, remember the shape comes first: check our guide to racket shapes to find out whether a diamond, a teardrop or a round suits you before you buy.
Madrid said goodbye to its greatest champion. One last stop remains: Barcelona, where Alejandra Salazar's story will write its final chapter.