Padel
What is the Reserve Cup? Format, teams, schedule and how to watch
Padel’s most glamorous showdown is back: celebrity captains, dream pairings, and Marbella’s luxury courts. Here’s everything you need to know about the Reserve Cup 2025.
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Padel is having its global breakout moment, and not just through the main professional circuit. Alongside the Premier Padel tour that sets the official rankings, a new showcase has been making noise across the sport: the Reserve Cup Series.
Born in Miami and now heading to Marbella in September 2025, the Reserve Cup doesn’t try to rival the professional circuit. Instead, it shows what happens when competition collides with lifestyle, celebrity and entertainment.
As padel superstar Alejandro Galán puts it, “What excites me most is that it’s a different format that takes us out of the usual competition system, and the atmosphere with the fans and team-mates makes it special.”
Alejandro Galán is light on his feet
© Reserve Cup/Red Bull Content Pool
Founder Wayne Boich explains the spark behind it: “The Reserve Cup was born out of a desire to showcase the world’s best players in a format that feels bigger than a tournament, a celebration of padel as a sport, a lifestyle and a community.”
So, what exactly is the Reserve Cup? Who will be playing in Marbella, and how can you watch it? Let’s break it down.
01
What is the Reserve Cup Series?
The Reserve Cup has a unique appeal as a short, high-impact team event that blends competition with lifestyle, luxury and entertainment.
It’s an invitational format featuring 16 of the world’s best players, split into two squads led by celebrity captains. Instead of the usual tour stop where pairs stick to their partnerships, here you might see arch-rivals join forces on the same side, something you won’t get anywhere else.
Teams take to the court
© Reserve Cup/Red Bull Content Pool
Across three days, the teams face off in matches designed for spectacle: two tie-break sets plus a deciding super tie-break if needed, with golden point scoring at deuce. Fast, tense and perfect for TV.
02
Teams, players and format
The Reserve Cup only calls up the sport’s elite. The confirmed 2025 roster includes names every fan knows: Agustín Tapia, Arturo Coello, Alejandro Galán, Juan Lebrón, Franco Stupaczuk, Miguel Yanguas, Javi Garrido, Coki Nieto, Pablo Cardona, Javier Leal, Javier Barahona, Juanlu Esbrí, José Antonio Diestro, Fran Guerrero, Javier García, plus a wild card.
Alejandro Galán will take on former-partner Juan Lebrón
© Reserve Cup/Red Bull Content Pool
That mix of established champions and rising talent ensures fans get both the star power of padel’s household names and the freshness of the next generation. The all-male nature of the roster, however, remains a key point of discussion in padel media.
The competition format at the Reserve Cup is built for pure intensity and show. Two squads of eight players, this year branded as Team Reserve and Team Marbella, are drafted and led by celebrity captains. Over the three days, fans will enjoy three top-tier, thrilling matches each evening under rules designed to keep the drama high: two regular, tie-break sets, and if the teams split them, a decisive super tie-break to crown the winner. With golden point scoring at deuce, every rally carries weight, every moment feels decisive. To add to the drama, each team’s coach is allowed to make a player change during play.
Juan Lebrón will face off against Ale Galán
© Reserve Cup/Red Bull Content Pool
Players earn +25 points for becoming champions, +15 points for each match win and +1 point per game won (with -1 for each game lost). All these points are tallied into a unique Reserve Cup ranking, creating an extra layer of competition across the series.
“It isn’t a traditional team format like the World Cup,” Galán explains. “The rules make strategy fundamental, from the coaches’ decisions to player changes during the match.”
03
Captains and cultural crossover
This is where the Reserve Cup sets itself apart. Each team is drafted and led by a celebrity captain. Past editions have featured figures like Derek Jeter and Andrew Schulz, both confessed padel addicts.
The captains aren’t just for show: they draft lineups, set pairings, and bring crossover star power that helps padel connect with broader audiences, from sports fans to pop-culture followers. As Boich says, “The crossover between the world’s top padel players and celebrity captains who are all huge fans of the sport is something special.”
For the players, that change of tone matters too. “Captains and celebrities let you see padel from their perspective, less professional and more about entertainment and show. It’s a breath of fresh air,” Galán says.
04
Prize money
The Reserve Cup also comes with significant rewards, featuring $500,000 in prize money. For Boich, though, it’s about more than numbers. “We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have so many leading brands and organisations eager to align with the Reserve Cup,” he explains. “It reinforces that this is more than just a tournament: it’s a cultural event that stands apart in sports.”
05
Reserve Cup 2025 schedule
Juan Lebrón is ready to serve in Marbella
© Reserve Cup/Content Pool
The Reserve Cup opened its 2025 season in Miami from January 23 to 25, where Andrew Schulz’s Team Miami defeated Derek Jeter’s Team Reserve on the city’s waterfront courts. Now, from September 18th to 20th, the action shifts to Spain, with Marbella’s legendary Puente Romano resort set to host the next stop, an especially symbolic choice given the city’s reputation as the birthplace of padel in the country.
And beyond that, the series is expected to expand even further, with rumors of a third destination in the works, potentially landing in global hubs like New York or Los Angeles.
This upcoming Marbella edition will feature matches no one will want to miss, including Alejandro Galán - Pablo Cardona vs Juan Lebrón - Franco Stupaczuk on September 18, Arturo Coello - Alejandro Galán vs Agustín Tapia - Juan Lebrón on September 19th, and Arturo Coello - Coki Nieto vs Agustín Tapia - Mike Yanguas on September 20. The rest of the matches will be confirmed on the morning of each tournament day.
Fans will get to experience unique matches with unusual pairings and rivalries. As padel specialist and journalist Pablo Herreros from “el4set” puts it, “the chance to see, for example, Ale Galán and Arturo Coello play together is unthinkable on the pro circuit right now.”
06
Reserve Cup: How to watch
For international fans, every match streams globally on Red Bull TV, with highlights and behind-the-scenes access on reservecup.com and Instagram @reservecupseries.
For those heading to Marbella, tickets start at €35 for Thursday and rise to €45 for Saturday. VIP packages unlock premium seating and hospitality experiences that place fans right inside the social buzz of the event.
07
Reserve Cup in the padel ecosystem
It’s essential to see the Reserve Cup for what it is: not a rival to Premier Padel, but a complement to it.
The Reserve Cup has carved out its own lane in the sport. It’s not built as a season-long tour, but as a three-day showcase where padel collides with music, luxury, and entertainment. The format is sharp, the presentation feels more like an American-style show, and every detail, from the VIP lounges to the curated matchups, is designed to create a premium experience.
“I want people to remember the Reserve Cup as more than just a tournament,” Boich says. “A place where they saw the very best of padel, surrounded by an atmosphere that was electric, immersive, and unforgettable.”
08
How far can the Reserve Cup go?
Agustín Tapia is one to watch at Reserve Cup
© Reserve Cup/Red Bull Content Pool
Miami proved the Reserve Cup could launch in a new market. Marbella will test how it performs in a city where padel is already part of the culture. The next step, whether it’s New York, Los Angeles or another global hub, could be decisive. More than a trophy, the Reserve Cup is making a statement: padel belongs on the world stage, and it can be presented in ways that go beyond the traditional tour.
And as Boich puts it, “It’s become an event that people want to be part of, whether as a fan, a player, or a partner.” For Galán, being part of the Reserve Cup has a bigger purpose: “It means helping padel become more global, supporting its internationalisation.”
For now, all eyes are on Marbella.
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