Agustín Tapia on the cover of Esquire Middle East: padel strikes a pose

Another way of looking at Tapia

Reclining on the red surface of a court, Agustín Tapia looks into the camera. A white shirt, black tie, dark jacket and a watch on his wrist: the outfit is a departure from what he wears in competition. Behind him, the net and fencing keep the image connected to his sport.

The cover of issue 186 of Esquire Middle East, dated November 2026, reads “Agustín Tapia is ace”. Its subtitle promises to explore what makes the player tick. Even before reading the profile, the photograph offers another way of looking at him.

The court as a fashion setting

The choice of location matters. The staging keeps the court at the heart of the image while introducing the codes of formal dressing. The tie, shirt and dark silhouette contrast with the playing surface and the greenery in the background.

The pose heightens that contrast. There is no technical movement, no ball to hit: Tapia is photographed motionless, close to the ground. To our eyes, this contrast is what makes the cover interesting. His surroundings still identify him as a player, while the framing and styling draw attention to his face and presence.

A cover worth looking at in its own right

For Make Padel Iconic, this appearance offers a specific subject: how a magazine portrays a figure from padel. A cover brings together a face, an outfit, a setting and a few words. Here, the headline identifies Tapia as the issue’s protagonist, and the photograph retains an immediate reference to his sport.

This single image does not support a general conclusion about padel’s place in fashion. It does provide a concrete example of an editorial approach: Tapia appears on the cover of Esquire Middle East in a photograph built around style, on a court.

This visual reading must also be distinguished from the content of the interview. As we have not consulted the full profile, no statements by Tapia are reproduced here. Our focus is the supplied cover and the post accompanying this feature.