Introducing MartinezSa
Introducing MartinezSa
get to know our new Spanish AWPer
get to know our new Spanish AWPer
Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez is the latest player from the Spanish AWP factory, boasting a trademark flashy style whilst balancing opening aggression and clutch ability. The 25-year-old has not had a traditional rise up the ranks of European competition; a relatively late bloomer when it comes to CS2, which means we’ve only a glimpse into the potential he has.
Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez is the latest player from the Spanish AWP factory, boasting a trademark flashy style whilst balancing opening aggression and clutch ability. The 25-year-old has not had a traditional rise up the ranks of European competition; a relatively late bloomer when it comes to CS2, which means we’ve only a glimpse into the potential he has.
Like so many of Counter-Strike’s GOATs, the Spanish sniper got into the game through his brother, once his brother stopped playing everyday MartinezSa got the chance to play against bots, not Astralis but actual bots. MartineZsa didn’t plan on going pro, but whilst he was studying and playing he realised he was a level above the mix team he had joined and maybe had a chance. Martinez played his first HLTV match in 2021 with semi-pro team VELOX but wouldn’t get his first break-through in professional Counter-Strike until 2022, when he was called upon to replace Álvaro "SunPayus" García in Movistar Riders.
Movistar were coming off the back of a shock run at IEM Cologne 2022 and were by far the best Spanish team in the scene but hit a rough patch of form. Despite being instrumental in the team winning ESL Challenger Melbourne, he would depart the lineup in December 2023 after posting a 1.09 rating during his tenure. His next team took his career all the way to the continent of South America with the Argentinian powerhouse 9z, exposing MartinezSa to top-level competition. Posting a 1.12 rating and a 1.09 rating against top 20 teams, it was clear that the two years on 9z helped cement him as one of the ‘best of the rest’ AWPers in the scene.
9z struggled to make an impact at tier 1; a 3rd/4th place finish at IEM Dallas 2024 was the best it got for the team, and after a tough season to kick off 2025, MartinezSa would return to European soil with Iberian Soul, reuniting with his ESL Challenger Melbourne winning roster. After winning their first tournament back together, they were signed by French giants Gentle Mates and broke into the VRS top 30, but heartbreakingly missed out on both the Budapest and Cologne Majors despite MartinezSa continuing his impressive form.
Like so many of Counter-Strike’s GOATs, the Spanish sniper got into the game through his brother, once his brother stopped playing everyday MartinezSa got the chance to play against bots, not Astralis but actual bots. MartineZsa didn’t plan on going pro, but whilst he was studying and playing he realised he was a level above the mix team he had joined and maybe had a chance. Martinez played his first HLTV match in 2021 with semi-pro team VELOX but wouldn’t get his first break-through in professional Counter-Strike until 2022, when he was called upon to replace Álvaro "SunPayus" García in Movistar Riders.
Movistar were coming off the back of a shock run at IEM Cologne 2022 and were by far the best Spanish team in the scene but hit a rough patch of form. Despite being instrumental in the team winning ESL Challenger Melbourne, he would depart the lineup in December 2023 after posting a 1.09 rating during his tenure. His next team took his career all the way to the continent of South America with the Argentinian powerhouse 9z, exposing MartinezSa to top-level competition. Posting a 1.12 rating and a 1.09 rating against top 20 teams, it was clear that the two years on 9z helped cement him as one of the ‘best of the rest’ AWPers in the scene.
9z struggled to make an impact at tier 1; a 3rd/4th place finish at IEM Dallas 2024 was the best it got for the team, and after a tough season to kick off 2025, MartinezSa would return to European soil with Iberian Soul, reuniting with his ESL Challenger Melbourne winning roster. After winning their first tournament back together, they were signed by French giants Gentle Mates and broke into the VRS top 30, but heartbreakingly missed out on both the Budapest and Cologne Majors despite MartinezSa continuing his impressive form.
Now the Spanish star brings his talents and continental experience to an international roster for the very first time. MartinezSa has already proved invaluable to the team as he helped power us to a successful Stake Ranked Episode 3 trophy run. With the season fully underway, all eyes are on the fight for spots at the Singapore Major. For MartinezSa Singapore has the extra motivation of being an opportunity to secure his first ever Major appearance and a chance to write himself in the history books alongside players like his idol s1mple.
