# Montenegro Makes Its Padel Debut at the Mediterranean Games, Draws Spain > Montenegro fields three pairs in padel's first ever Mediterranean Games appearance, with the women's team facing Spanish veterans Sainz and Llaguno in Taranto. Published: 2026-08-22T19:40:09.025Z Canonical: https://unstopadel.com/en/matches/montenegro-padel-debut-mediterranean-games-taranto-2026 Tags: mediterranean-games, montenegro, padel-debut, taranto-2026, fip ## Match - Tournament: Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026 - Round: Round of 16 - Result: Simonovic/Matijevic (Montenegro) vs Sainz/Llaguno (Spain) Montenegro is playing its first competitive padel matches at a major multi-sport Games today, with the country's debut coming as padel joins the Mediterranean Games program for the first time in Taranto, Italy. ## Three pairs, one first step Montenegro entered three pairings for the country's padel bow: Ivanka Simonovic and Jelena Matijevic in the women's draw, Luka Petranovic and team captain Djanluka Lamberto Pelonci in the men's draw, and a mixed pairing as well. It is a small delegation taking on a big occasion, since no Montenegrin player has ever competed in padel at a multi-sport Games before this week. ## A tough draw against Spain The women's pair drew one of the toughest possible openers. Simonovic and Matijevic face Spain's Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno, both former world No. 1s, in the round of 16, according to the official draw published by the International Padel Federation. On the men's side, Petranovic and Pelonci open against Morocco, while the mixed pair takes on Kosovo, with Italy looming as a possible next opponent. ## Low expectations, high pride Speaking before the matches, team captain Pelonci kept his goals modest but genuine. "We cannot wait for the competition to begin. I will compete with my partner Luka, while Jelena and Ivanka will represent the women's team. Our expectations are to represent our national team in the best possible way, and I hope we can achieve one victory," he said. ## What comes next Padel's medal rounds at the Mediterranean Games do not arrive until Super Friday on August 28, when the mixed, women's and men's finals are all decided on the same day. For Montenegro, the immediate goal is simpler: get through a first match and see where the run goes from there. ## FAQ ### Is this the first time padel has been played at the Mediterranean Games? Yes. Padel makes its debut as a medal sport at the Mediterranean Games this year in Taranto, Italy, running from August 22 to 28, 2026. ### Who is Montenegro's women's pair playing in the round of 16? Ivanka Simonovic and Jelena Matijevic face Spain's Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno, both former world No. 1 players, according to the official FIP draw. ### When are the padel medals decided at the Mediterranean Games? All three gold medals, mixed, women's and men's, are decided on August 28, known as Super Friday, following bronze medal matches earlier that day. ## Sources - [Team MNE Taranto News](https://cok.me/en/mne/team-mne-taranto-news004/) - Montenegrin Olympic Committee - [The draw for the men's and women's tournaments: Collado-Hernandez the pair to beat in the men's draw, Orsi-Marchetti dream of another gold](https://www.padelfip.com/2026/08/the-draw-for-the-mens-and-womens-tournaments-collado-hernandez-the-pair-to-beat-in-the-mens-draw-orsi-marchetti-dream-of-another-gold/) - Padel FIP --- https://unstopadel.com - padel news, checked against multiple sources.