When Tomas Capogrosso switched from indoor to beach volleyball six years ago, he never imagined that decision would one day lead to forming one of Argentina’s most promising pairs on the sand with his older brother Nicolas.
Tomas, then a promising outside hitter, was one of the key players who had led Argentina to a bronze medal in the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ Under-19 World Championship held in Tunisia. Nicolas, on the other hand, was already an accomplished beach volleyball player having participated in two World Championships and one Olympic Games with his partner Julian Azaad.
As a newbie, Tomas played alongside Juan Bautista Amieva in his debut season on the sand before uniting with Nicolas for the 2022 campaign. Since then, the Capogrosso brothers have leapt from strength to strength emerging as one of the top beach volleyball duos in the world.
“I don’t think I imagined playing beach volleyball as a child. I dreamed of being a great indoor player. But when I decided to play in the sand, I started dreaming of playing at the highest level with Nico,” Tomas told FIVB.com. “It means pride to me, being side by side with Nico fighting with the best teams in the world, knowing how much it has cost us to get where we are today.”
The Capogrosso brothers, Tomas (left) and Nicolas, celebrate a point during the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, Australia.
Nicolas and Tomas were born eight years apart and the younger Capogrosso concedes that there was no better person to hold his hand in the demanding sport that is beach volleyball.
“Obviously he has shaped me as a player. He has made me develop everything the team needs with him on the field of play,” revealed the 23-year-old Tomas.
“What I learned from him is how to live this life of a beach volleyball player. At first it was difficult for me to adapt to being away from home, to losing, to being uncomfortable and that influenced my way of playing.”
Like any beach volleyball partnership, the Capogrosso brothers have had their fair share of challenges as they worked to build team chemistry. However, Tomas reckons that their brotherhood bond has steadied the ship even in times of distress.
“Being brothers is what makes us unique and different from the rest of the teams. That feeling of brothers inside the court makes us feel that we are back to back defending each other,” begun Tomas.
“At first it was drama, it was difficult because all the fights off the court negatively affected us inside the playing field. Every defeat hurt us and it moved from day to day. But as we grew as a team, we realised that we had a common goal and it was much stronger than any difference. Fortunately, we matured in this aspect and understand that defeats are part of the process, these fights don’t exist nowadays,” revealed Tomas.
Tomas Capogrosso in action during the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide, Australia.
After spending four years under the wings of Nicolas, Tomas believes that he has come of age and can take the weight of responsibility off his elder brother moving forward.
“At the beginning of our career together, I felt that my role was that of a little brother who had to follow his brother step by step. Two years ago, I felt that I needed to get out of that role and lead the team in terms of mental and strategic aspects. Getting out of that role helped me a lot to develop myself as the player I am and want to be,” opined Tomas.
“Without a doubt, I am the most competitive. Since I was little, I always wanted to be the best in everything I do. Many times that urge to be the best comes with good and bad results but I learn more and more from them,” he noted.
A hugely successful 2025 season for the Capogrosso brothers, which also took in a World Championship appearance and two Beach Pro Tour silver medals, left them in 13th place on the World Rankings. Tomas is excited about what the 2026 season has to offer ahead of their opening competition–the Beach Pro Tour Elite stop in João Pessoa, Brazil set for 11 to 15 March.
“My main goal in preseason was to be more relaxed and enjoy more of what I do. Although last year was the best in our career together so far, I had a lot of accumulated stress and had already stopped enjoying what I was doing. This led to many ups and downs both on and off the court. One area that I have focused on a lot is the mental part and making decisions in crucial moments,” Tomas opened up.
Ultimately, the Capogrosso brothers are eager to stamp their authority on the Beach Pro Tour and crown the season with a ticket to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
”As a team, we want to maintain our identity even when we face the best teams in the world. It doesn’t matter who we face, what matters most is that we stick to our way of playing inside the court. Our goal this year is to reach the World’s top 10 and qualify for the Olympic Games through the continental qualifiers,” underlined Tomas.
