Jessica Marie Agra (Contributed photo)
Filipino padel standout Jessica Marie Agra is set for back-to-back international stints this July as she aims to boost her world ranking in the Federación Internacional de Pádel (FIP).
Currently ranked No. 157 in the FIP women’s division—the highest among Filipino players—Agra departs for Chengdu, China on Thursday to compete in a Silver category tournament from July 3 to 6.
She will reunite with her semifinal partner from Melbourne, Japan’s Yoshino Kushima, a national team member. Seeded sixth in Chengdu, the duo earned a first-round bye and will face the winner between China’s Zhai Yu and Hong Kong’s Hiu Laam Chan, or the Chinese pair of Yanyan Xia and Xinyi Xu.
“The top seed in China is ranked in the world’s top 30, so I’m very excited to be part of another Silver event,” Agra shared in an interview on Wednesday.
Following the China leg, Agra will head straight to Japan to compete in a Bronze category event from July 10 to 13. There, she will team up with Spanish player Maria Mayoral Estrada, her partner from the May tournament in Abu Dhabi.
“I need strong performances in these tournaments to climb the rankings,” said Agra, who recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 153. She most recently reached the semifinals in Bali, Indonesia, alongside Russia’s Alena Vasileva—her third Bronze semifinal appearance this year.
“I feel incredibly blessed to have made it this far,” she added. “My goal is to break into the top 150 or even higher.”
Agra is a proud member of the Philippine Padel Association (PPA), founded by Alenna Dawn Magpantay. Padel, a sport that blends elements of tennis and squash, is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by glass and metal walls.