Jon Sanz: Bio, Titles and Playing Style
Jon Sanz Zalba was born on September 25, 2000 in Pamplona, in the Navarra region of northern Spain. He's left-handed and plays the drive, right-hand side of the court, known across the tour for relentless court coverage and a refusal to give up on any ball. In late 2024, alongside Coki Nieto, he pulled off one of the sport's great upsets, beating the world number ones in a Master Final nobody expected them to reach.
A modest family, and nights spent sleeping in the car
Sanz doesn't hide where he comes from. "We come from a modest family. My father worked 12 hours a day, my mother came with me everywhere," he's said. The sacrifices were literal: "I remember once in Madrid, we slept in the car to play a tournament, because we couldn't afford to sleep in a hotel." He started playing padel at 9, at the Ciudad Deportiva Amaya in Pamplona, and stayed rooted in his hometown even as his career grew. His club back home, Reino del Pádel, later named a plot of land after him. "When they told me, I couldn't believe it. It was like an award, a thank you for everything I've accomplished, and for everyone who helped me get there. On the day of the inauguration, there were about 300 people. For a small town like Pamplona, that's crazy. I'm so grateful," he's said.
The phone call that changed his career
In 2023, Alejandro Galán called Sanz to fill in after Juan Lebrón picked up an injury, even though Sanz had just started a new project with Coki Nieto. He called Coki to talk it through. "He told me: 'You have to accept, this is a unique opportunity,'" Sanz has said. Playing alongside Galán changed how seriously he trained. "Ale, at that moment, made me believe we could beat anyone. He told me: 'I want to win.' I had a big turning point. I started training very hard, very seriously. I'm a workaholic, hyper-professional, maybe too much so, and that helped me believe in it."
Down two match points, then a Master Final for the ages
Sanz and Coki Nieto went into the 2024 Premier Padel Finals in Barcelona off the back of a rough patch, results bad enough that they'd already agreed to end their partnership at season's end. "It was a Friday evening, I was walking around Madrid, and Coki calls me, we talk, and we decide to stop," Sanz has said. Then they went to Barcelona anyway, beat Stupaczuk/Yanguas, then González/Alonso, and reached the final against Tapia and Coello, unbeaten in 47 straight matches. Down 6-3, 5-3, facing two match points, Sanz turned to his father in the stands. "I look at my father, I tell him: 'It's tough, man.' My physio and my trainer were about to leave for the train station, and my agent tells them: 'Wait, something could happen.'" Something did: Sanz and Nieto fought back to win the match. "I was in shock. My whole family was there, everyone was crying, my friends, my agent, my girlfriend, all there. It was crazy."
Career and partnerships
After that Barcelona win, Sanz and Nieto went their separate ways for the 2025 season, with Sanz partnering Momo González, someone he's described as a great, upbeat teammate who reminded him of Coki both on and off the court. Sanz and Nieto reunited for the first half of 2026, but that second stint didn't match the highs of the first, and the pair split in August 2026. Sanz is now partnered with Franco Stupaczuk, the pair debuting together at the Belgrade FIP Gold in August 2026.
Playing style
Sanz plays fast, dynamic padel built around movement rather than raw power, chasing down balls other players would let go and turning defense into offense through sheer speed and anticipation. He celebrates loudly and visibly, a contrast to some of his calmer partners, and his game rewards patience: he and his partners tend to grind out matches rather than blow teams off the court early.
To read about his longtime partner, check our guide to the best padel players to follow in 2026. For more on the pair he beat in that Barcelona final, read our Arturo Coello profile.
