PH lawyer Agra breaks into FIP Top 200

STANDOUT. Lawyer Jessica Agra (right) poses with Russian Alena Vasileva during the International Padel Federation (FIP) Bronze event in Hong Kong on March 15, 2025. Agra is No. 1 in the Philippine Padel Association (PPA) women's pro rankings. (Contributed photo)

MANILA – Filipino lawyer Jessica Agra broke into the International Padel Federation (FIP) Top 200 rankings this week after earning 63 points.

She is among three players from Asia to make it to the top 200, the others being No. 181 Kotomi Ozawa of Japan (72 points) and No. 199 Fatma Al Nabhani of Oman (58 points).

"At the end of 2024, I told myself my goal for 2025 is to hopefully reach the top 200 at the end of the year, and I am very happy and proud to have achieved it earlier than what I hoped for," Agra said in an interview Thursday.

"I’m enjoying this sport very much and I have also been doing my best to improve my game every time I step on the court. My biggest dream in padel is to be able to play at the highest level, which is the Premier Padel, and reaching the top 200 makes me hopeful that this dream is possible. I’m now even more motivated to work harder," added the member of the Philippine Padel Association (PPA) founded by Alenna Dawn Magpantay.

Agra's career-best world ranking was the result of her performances in eight tournaments, including the FIP Promotion Dubai (R16), FIP Rise Manila (quarterfinals), and FIP Rise Abu Dhabi (R16) last year.

This year, she made it to the quarterfinals at the FIP Silver Melbourne in January, the FIP Bronze Hong Kong and FIP Bronze Manila in March, and the FIP Silver Dubai in April.

Agra, who reached the semifinal round at the FIP Bronze Kuala Lumpur this month, will leave on Friday to join the FIP Bronze HK Leg 2, teaming up with Russian Alena Vasileva.

Agra, a former top junior tennis player, took the No. 1 spot in the Asia Pacific Padel Tour rankings in June 2024 with 2980 points after a runner-up finish with Spanish Maria Mayoral Estrada at the Bali Open in Indonesia.

Padel, a racket sport of Mexican origin, is a mix of tennis and squash and is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by walls of glass and metallic mesh. (PNA)

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