- After months of planning, the Hexagon Cup debuted in Madrid on Wednesday
- Hollywood icon Eva Longoria is one of the team owners at the padel event
- Longoria emphasized the event’s desire to help strengthen women’s sports
Hollywood megastar Eva Longoria has stressed that the Hexagon Cup elevates the status of women in sport as one of the attractions of the highly anticipated event.
The brand new padel tournament, supported by high-profile sports stars Nadal, Andy Murray and Robert Lewandowski, debuted on Wednesday at the Madrid Arena.
The Hexagon Cup features a ground-breaking format, with six teams of three pairs – male, female and Next Gen – competing for prize money of €1 million (£860,000).
Hollywood actress Longoria is the owner of the ElevenElevenTeamUSA team and joined the tournament on the team bench.
Longoria, a renowned director, businesswoman and activist, revealed that the inclusivity and equality of the Hexagon Cup was a factor in her support of the event.
Hollywood megastar Eva Longoria joined her team bench at the Hexagon Cup in Madrid
Longoria applauds the groundbreaking tournament’s desire to take women’s sports to the next level
The star said he didn’t hesitate when he got the chance to participate
“Hexagon Cup is a great competition,” Longoria said.
‘I love the atmosphere it has created, where talent, rivalry, camaraderie, inclusivity and equality come together.
‘Actually, one of the qualities I like most is precisely this desire to strengthen the female figure in the sports world and involve great women in the tournament.
“That’s why when I got the opportunity to be part of this tournament, I didn’t hesitate and it was very easy for me to say yes.”
Longoria also revealed that the number eleven used by her team is the ‘the angel’s number, of luck, and represents trust that the universe will provide what is needed.’
Padel is a racket sport that is becoming extremely popular worldwide, with an estimated 25 million active players worldwide.
Since securing the backing of DMG Ventures, the inaugural Hexagon Cup has successfully attracted the very best international padel players to compete across six teams, with prize money of €1 million (£860,000) up for grabs.
Longoria believes that the format of the Hexagon Cup and the involvement of stars from the sports and entertainment industry can further boost padel.
Padel is growing enormously in popularity, leading to more and more audiences for events such as the Hexagon Cup
Longoria cheers on her team in Madrid as the competition reaches its final stages
A helicopter view of the Madrid Arena, where the very first Hexagon Cup will be held this week
“One of the distinguishing factors of this competition lies in its format, which emphasizes that there are team owners who come from fields outside padel, such as other sports or arts,” Longoria said.
“This fact allows us to bring this sport to millions of people around the world, increasing its popularity. Something similar to what happened in the United States with the arrival of David Beckham in the football league
‘I enjoy the tournament and the healthy rivalry that all the teams have. Both the owners and the players come to give everything to enjoy themselves and become champions at the same time.’
Longoria saw her ElevenElevenTeamUSA reach the semifinals of the women’s and Next Gen events.
The Next Gen duo of Alex Chozas and Emilio Sánchez Chamero will take on Andy Murray’s Pablo Garcia and Pol Hernandez.
The women’s duo of Paula Josemaría and Alejandra Alonso will face Murray’s duo of Delfi Brea and Sofia Araujo in the last four.
The semi-finals and final will be broadcast live on ITV.
All other matches are available on a range of networks including DAZN, YouTube and Eurosport.
