Mexicano padel tournament: how it works and how to run one
Lately we keep getting the same question: how do I run a Mexicano? The format has really taken off these last couple of years. Players get hooked because it's fair and dynamic, but if you try to run it by hand it can give you several headaches. Here's what's worth knowing before you jump in.
What is a Mexicano tournament?
The Mexicano is a format where pairs change every round and matchups are calculated using the live ranking. There's no fixed bracket. After each round, the system looks at the standings and pairs up players with similar scores: top players against top players, bottom against bottom.
What you get: tighter matches, more tension on every meeting and a tournament where nobody goes home eliminated. Each round starts almost from scratch.
Mexicano vs round robin: what's the difference?
These two formats often get confused. They're similar, but there's a key difference:
Round robin
- • Rotations are calculated before the tournament
- • Everyone plays with everyone (or almost)
- • Matchups don't change based on results
- • Works really well for social events and mixed groups
Mexicano
- Matchups are calculated at the end of each round
- Pairs by level using the ranking at that moment
- Rounds get more competitive as the tournament moves on
- Better for people looking for real competition, not just socialising
Rules and scoring
Games won add up
Unlike other formats, in the Mexicano every game you win counts. Win 6-4 and you add 6 points; lose 4-6 and you add 4. Every game matters.
Pairs that change each round
Each round you get a different partner, and you don't pick them. The system decides based on where you currently sit.
Matched by ranking
When a round closes, the ranking updates and the system pairs: 1st with 2nd against 3rd with 4th, 5th with 6th against 7th with 8th, and so on.
Fixed rounds
You play between 5 and 8 rounds depending on how many players there are. Each round runs around 15-20 minutes.
Why it's catching on
And now the ugly part: running it by hand
This is where the Mexicano gets complicated. Round one ends. You collect every result. Work out the ranking. Check who played with whom so you don't repeat pairs. Match by level. Assign courts. Announce the matchups. All this with 16 players watching you and asking "who am I playing with now?".
You get to round three and slip up. You repeat a pair. Someone protests. You recalculate. Ten minutes lost. Everyone else cools down. By round five you've already racked up 45 minutes of delay.
of waiting between rounds doing the maths
for some kind of mistake to slip into the matchups
delay built up by the end of the tournament
FenixPlay: Mexicano on autopilot
Those ten minutes between rounds turn into three seconds
Ranking-based matchups, automatic
You enter the result and FenixPlay recalculates the ranking and generates the next round's matchups instantly. No Excel, no calculator.
Live ranking
Players see the standings updated on their phone after each round. They know exactly where they stand.
No repeated pairs
The algorithm tracks which pairs have already played together so they don't repeat. You don't have to keep count.
Court assignment
Each round assigns courts on its own. Players know where to go without asking.
How to set up a Mexicano with FenixPlay, step by step
1. Create the tournament
Open FenixPlay, choose "Mexicano" format, set the courts and number of rounds. One minute.
2. Sign up the players
They register from the phone, or you add them by hand. No WhatsApp lists.
3. Start round one
FenixPlay generates the initial random matchups. Each player gets a notification with their partner, opponents and court.
4. Keep entering results
At the end of each match, you enter the score and the ranking updates instantly.
5. The next round comes out by itself
FenixPlay calculates the new matchups using the current ranking. Players see them on their phone. Zero waiting.
An example: 20-player Mexicano in Valencia
Before, by hand
- Ten or fifteen minutes of waiting between rounds
- Pairs repeating in round four
- Some ranking mistake that turns up once the tournament has started
- Players annoyed at the waiting
- End result: a three-hour tournament that ran four and a half
With FenixPlay
- Three seconds between rounds
- No repeated pairs, the algorithm handles it
- No ranking errors
- Players relaxed, everything flows
- End result: the tournament runs as long as it was meant to
Conclusion
The Mexicano is a really good format and it's easy to see why it's growing: it pairs by level, doesn't eliminate anyone and keeps the tension going to the end. The bit that doesn't scale well is doing the organising by hand. If you're going to try it, do yourself a favour and start with something automatic.
"My first Mexicano I ran by hand and it was a disaster. I took so long between rounds some people ended up leaving. On FenixPlay I ran one with 24 players and it was a different world: no waiting, no mess. Now they ask me for one every month."
— Raul P., organiser, Valencia
Run your first Mexicano without the stress
Download FenixPlay and try it with a small group before throwing a big one at it. Fastest way to see if it fits.
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