The 2026 Central American & Caribbean Games (CACGs) began a week ago in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the racquetball competition started last Saturday. Six countries are competing: Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, as well as the host Dominican Republic. The team competition is still in process, but the five individual competitions - men’s and women’s singles and doubles as well as mixed doubles - have concluded.
Mexico won four of the five individual events with Costa Rica preventing a Mexican sweep by winning Mixed Doubles.
Alexandra Herrera was a double gold medalist, as she won gold in Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles with Montserrat Mejia. Herrera defeated Guatemalan Gabriela Martinez in the singles final, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9. It was Martinez’s 3rd silver medal in singles at the CACGs. In doubles, Herrera and Mejia defeated Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez in the final, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6, which was a repeat of the 2023 final. Thus, this is the 2nd consecutive title for Herrera and Mejia, and it’s the 4th consecutive silver medal for Martinez and Rodriguez.
In men’s play, Mexican Rodrigo Montoya beat team-mate Eduardo Portillo in singles, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6, which was a reversal of the 2023 CACGs final, when Portillo defeated Montoya. Portillo and Andree Parrilla won doubles by beating Guatemalans Christian Aldana and Juan Salvatierra in the final, 11-1, 12-10, 11-8. Mexico has won every men’s doubles title at the CACGs going back to 1990.
Montoya had a chance at a second gold medal, as he and Jessica Parrilla were in the Mixed Doubles final, but they lost to Costa Ricans Andrés Acuña and Larissa Faeth, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9. This is just the second time Mixed Doubles has been part of the CACGs, and Mexico were the defending champions.
Other matches of note. Costa Rican teen-ager Larissa Faeth defeated Mexican Montserrat Mejia, 11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 11-7, in the quarterfinals of Women’s Singles, which is probably the largest upset of the tournament. Also, Guatemalans Christian Aldana and Juan Salvatierra coming back from 2-1 down to defeat the Costa Rican brothers Andrés and Sergio Acuña, 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, in the Men’s Doubles semi-final was another significant upset.
Racquetball was first included in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1990. Since then, Mexico has won gold in singles at all but two games: 1993 and 1998. Fabian Balmori of Venezuela won Men’s Singles in both those years, while the Women’s Singles titles went to Claudine Garcia of the Dominican Republic in 1993 and Anna Maldonado of Puerto Rico in 1998. Mexico has won gold in Men’s and Women’s Doubles at every Central American and Caribbean Games.
XXV Central American & Caribbean Games
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - July 25 - August 1, 2026
Women’s Singles - Final
Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) d. Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala), 11-6, 12-10, 11-9
Semi-finals
Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) d. Maria Cespedes (Dominican Republic), 11-9, 11-8, 11-4
Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Larissa Faeth (Costa Rica), 12-10, 11-7, 11-2
Quarterfinals
Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) d. Jimena Gomez (Costa Rica), 11-4, 11-5, 11-1
Maria Cespedes (Dominican Republic) d. Mariana Tobon Gordon (Venezuela), 7-11, 11-7, 11-0, 11-3
Larissa Faeth (Costa Rica) d. Montserrat Mejia (Mexico), 11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 11-7
Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Andrea Reyes Perez (Guatemala), 12-10, 11-7, 11-2
Women’s Doubles - Final
Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 11-8, 11-4, 11-6
Semi-finals
Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Larissa Faeth & Jimena Gomez (Costa Rica), 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Maria Cespedes & Alejandra Jiménez (Dominican Republic), 11-4, 13-11, 11-2
Men’s Singles - Final
Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Eduardo Portillo (Mexico), 11-4, 11-4, 11-6
Semi-finals
Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Ramon de Leon (Dominican Republic), 8-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-4, 11-8
Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Andrés Acuña (Costa Rica), 9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8
Quarterfinals
Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Luis Perez (Dominican Republic), 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6
Ramon de Leon (Dominican Republic) d. Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica), 17-15, 11-9, 11-2
Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala), 11-2, 11-8, 11-4
Andrés Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Hector Sierra Mansilla (Guatemala), 11-4, 11-4, 13-11
Men’s Doubles - Final
Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Christian Aldana & Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala), 11-1, 12-10, 11-8
Semi-finals
Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Luis Perez & Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), 11-4, 11-4, 11-4
Christian Aldana & Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala) d. Andrés Acuña & Sergio Acuña (Costa Rica), 11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5
Mixed Doubles - Final
Andrés Acuña & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. Rodrigo Montoya & Jessica Parrilla (Mexico), 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-9
Semi-finals
Andrés Acuña & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. Ana Cardentey & Maykel Moyet Suarez (Cuba), 14-12, 12-10, 11-2
Rodrigo Montoya & Jessica Parrilla (Mexico) d. Christian Aldana & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 9-11, 14-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8
Follow the bouncing ball….
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