Mike Yanguas and Coki Nieto: “If we play well, we can compete with anyone”

Having shared the track throughout the 2025 season, Mike Yanguas and Coki Nieto had decided to go their separate ways. A few months later, the two Spaniards finally chose to reunite. Their return has already been successful, as evidenced by their impressive performance in their first tournament back in Madrid. bring down Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia .

They met before the Paris Major Yanguas and Nieto reflected on their reunion, their victory against the world number 1s, but also on the necessary evolutions in an ever faster and more aggressive men's padel.

Yanguas / Nieto, finding oneself without starting from scratch

After spending an entire season together in 2025, Yanguas and Nieto must know each other inside and out. But for mike yanguas Reforming this pair does not simply mean picking up where they left off.

"The key was that we both knew what we each needed to improve on our own."

Their separation also allowed them to work individually on certain aspects of their game. And when they reunited, the two Spaniards already knew which direction to take.

"We tried to move towards this objective from the first day we met and I think that was evident in Madrid," explains Yanguas.

A quickly convincing return, with a first week that allowed them to regain their automatic reflexes, while offering a different version from that observed in 2025.

Beating Coello/Tapia on their return: "We played a perfect match"

The first major signal arrived in Madrid. For their first tournament since their reunion, Yanguas/Nieto managed to beat Coello/Tapia in two sets .

This victory was particularly special for Coki Nieto. The previous season, the two Spaniards had faced the world's number 1 players several times without managing to defeat them.

“Last year, we played against them a lot and we couldn’t beat them. This year, the first time we played them, we managed to win in two sets.”

For Nieto, however, there is no question of drawing definitive conclusions.

"I think we played a perfect match."

Everything fell into place: Attitude, level of play, and a few key points which can turn a match of this level around. But above all, this victory brings something essential to this new version of the pair: confidence.

"This is a very important victory that gives us a lot of confidence and allows us to know that, If we play well, we can compete with everyone. »

A Yanguas who wants to become even more aggressive

For several months, the game of mike yanguas is evolving. The Spaniard is looking more to take the initiative and finish points himself.

It's a development he fully embraces.

"I needed to be more aggressive, finish more points, and be physically faster."

The particularly fast conditions in Madrid obviously favored this type of padel. But Yanguas doesn't want this aggressiveness to be solely linked to the characteristics of a tournament.

To establish himself permanently among the best pairs, he knows he will need to be able to reproduce this version week after week.

"It's not enough to do it only once."

An important point in a calendar where tournaments follow one another almost without interruption. After Madrid and Paris, Rotterdam will arrive quickly. It's a wheel that never stops " summarizes Yanguas, aware that consistency will be one of the keys to their new project.

Nieto forced to adapt to the new padel

The observation is similar for Coki Nieto But perhaps the challenge is even more interesting. The Spaniard has never built his game solely around power. His strength lies more in reading the game, technique, defense, zonal marking, and the ability to build points .

However, men's padel is evolving towards ever more aggressive play, with players capable of finishing a point from positions that were once considered defensive.

Nieto therefore knows that he must adapt.

"Either you adapt, or you fall behind."

Without denying what makes him strong, he now seeks to put more pressure , regardless of track speed. Madrid allowed him to be more aggressive thanks to the fast conditions, but his goal is to replicate this attitude elsewhere.

"I'm trying to be more aggressive on all types of courts, not just in hitting the ball, but also in putting more pressure on the ball with my shots."

Yanguas's strength to free Nieto

And perhaps that's where the reunion with Mike Yanguas takes on its full meaning.

Nieto knows he's playing alongside a player capable of bringing a great deal of stability to the pair. This security allows him to step further out of his comfort zone.

"With a player as solid as Mike, I can take a few more risks."

A sentence that sums up part of the new balance sought by the two Spaniards. Yanguas wants to become more aggressive and decisive , While Nieto is also looking to progress further and take more risks without losing the construction qualities that have always characterized his game.

Madrid offered a particularly encouraging first glimpse of this new version of Yanguas / Nieto Their victory against Coello/Tapia showed them that they had the weapons to compete with any pair.

Now comes the hardest part: reproduce this level over time And as Yanguas summarized, in a season where tournaments follow one another relentlessly, one big week is not enough.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !