Peña Vitoriana Earns Promotion to Spanish Tennis Championship Second Tier

Eight players from the Peña Vitoriana club earned promotion to the second tier of the Spanish Team Tennis Championship earlier this month, securing a spot among the country’s top 24 squads.

The Vitoria-based team navigated a demanding schedule in their debut appearance at the tournament, which mirrors the format of the Davis Cup with five singles matches and two doubles clashes per tie.

“Es el premio de un equipo de Vitoria, de chavales que nos conocemos de toda la vida,” said team captain Iñigo Madariaga, as reported by El Correo.

The campaign began in September and stretched across two and a half months of weekend rounds. The roster features Madariaga alongside Carlos Divar, Pablo Riva, Markel Garay, Miguel Rodríguez, Ander Alonso, Unai Arija, and Miguel Pérez.

Peña Vitoriana opened the group stage with dominant wins over the Mallorca-based CT Jaume Comas, Sevilla’s AD Aljarafe XXI, and Madrid’s CT Alcorcón, dropping zero individual matches along the way.

The quarterfinal round presented a tougher challenge away from home against Madrid’s TC Talent Team, a squad that competed in the first division two years prior and included three players with ATP ranking points.

“Sabíamos que era muy jodido, pero nos salió todo bien. Ganábamos 3-2 en individuales y luego nos llevamos los dos dobles,” Madariaga told El Correo, recounting an evening that stretched past 11 p.m. due to weather delays.

A subsequent 4-1 semifinal victory in Sabadell sealed their mathematical promotion. On Sunday at 12:00 noon, Peña Vitoriana meets the Higuerón Tennis Center of Fuengirola with free admission for spectators to contest the third-category national title.

“No es fácil porque te lo pagas tú y tienes que coger días de vacaciones, porque se juega los domingos,” Madariaga explained to El Correo, noting that the squad hopes to secure modest sponsorships covering transport and lodging for next season.

The team estimates that a budget of 2,000 to 3,000 euros would sufficiently support their travel expenses in the higher division, where they expect a much stiffer level of competition.