Peru’s Nicolas Baena and Alessandro Rubini captured the silver medal in men’s doubles tennis at the IV Juegos Suramericanos de la Juventud Panamá 2026 after losing the final to Venezuela’s Rodolfo de Andreis and Ignacio de Armas.
The Peruvian duo had secured their place in the championship match with a hard-fought comeback victory over Paraguay’s Álvaro Frutos and Cayo Narváez in the semifinals, winning 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 to guarantee at least a silver medal for their country.
In the final, Baena and Rubini faced the Venezuelan pair, who were ranked 313rd and 106th in the ITF Juniors standings respectively, and were unable to overcome their opponents, settling for the runner-up position.
Despite the loss in the doubles final, Baena also advanced to the semifinals in men’s singles, defeating Chile’s Benjamín Pérez 6-3, 7-5 to maintain his medal hopes alive in the individual competition.
On the women’s side, Yleymi Muelle reached the semifinals in singles after overcoming Venezuela’s Sabrina Balderrama in a match lasting more than two hours, positioning herself for a potential bronze medal match.
Though, Leticia Bazán’s singles run ended in the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Argentina’s Sol Larraya, the top seed in the draw.
The Bazán-Muelle women’s doubles team also failed to reach the final and will contest the bronze medal match.
Peru’s tennis contingent delivered one of its strongest performances at the youth multi-sport event, with multiple athletes reaching the latter stages of competition and securing medal opportunities across both singles and doubles disciplines.
The silver medal in men’s doubles marks a significant achievement for Baena and Rubini, highlighting their growth as a partnership on the international junior stage.
As the tournament progresses toward its conclusion, Peru remains in contention for additional podium finishes, particularly in women’s singles where Muelle’s semifinal appearance keeps her within one win of a medal.
The upcoming matches will determine whether Peru can convert its strong showings into gold-medal performances or if the silver in doubles will stand as the nation’s top tennis result at the 2026 South American Youth Games.
Fans can follow the final stages of the tennis competition through official tournament channels for updates on match schedules and results as Peru seeks to close out its campaign on a high note.
