What if Arturo Coello is redefining the role of the right-handed player? Far more than just a superb finisher, the world number one has developed an approach where defense becomes the starting point for the attack. By advancing at the slightest opportunity, the Spaniard is imposing a new tactical model that is shaking up the traditional codes of top-level padel.

The world number one is not just attacking more: he is redefining how to defend on the right

The traditional right-handed player protects his diagonal, absorbs the opponent's play, builds up play with lobs, and waits for his left-hand partner to take the initiative. Arturo Coello retains some of these roles, but he profoundly alters their execution.

The Spanish left-hander isn't just looking to defend well in order to then attack. His defense is designed as a  almost immediate transition forward As soon as a lob, a chiquita or a sufficiently low ball allows him to gain a few meters, Coello advances, sets himself up on the counter and does everything to avoid returning to the back of the court.

Officially positioned on the right, the 1,90m player still holds the world number one ranking after a start to the 2026 season marked by 49 wins in 54 matches and seven titles. Premier PadelBut his influence now goes beyond results: he embodies a new version of the right-sided player, much closer to a permanent attacker than a defensive organizer.

Defend by advancing rather than retreating

Several tactical analyses have highlighted the same mechanism.

Against Galán and Chingotto, a recurring pattern emerges: Coello plays a high lob over Chingotto and immediately moves forward. He doesn't stay at the back of the court waiting for the next shot. He moves to the middle zone, then to the net, either to block the opponent's vibora or to let the ball pass when he judges it to be safe.

Sanyo Gutiérrez precisely analyzed this mechanism for VeinteDiez. When Chingotto has to play a cross-court bandeja from a back position, Coello can regain the net in a single move. If Chingotto looks for the parallel or center shot, Tapia can take control of the rally. The opponent is thus faced with a choice in which almost all solutions benefit the number one players.

This detail changes the way we read the point. Coello doesn't necessarily wait for his team to execute a perfect lob before moving forward together. He anticipates the trajectory of the next shot and sometimes advances even before the opponent has struck it.

A net grip built around the absence of an angle

The system works because Coello knows how to distinguish between situations where the opponent can actually accelerate and those where he can only keep the ball in play.

On a quick, deep lob from Tapia, the opposing player on the right is often forced to hit the ball behind him. In this position, it becomes very difficult to play a downward, aggressive shot. Coello then knows he can move forward without immediately exposing himself.

Sanyo summarizes this interpretation with a simple idea: when the opponent strikes from behind him,  "There is no angle" Coello therefore doesn't need to wait for the outcome of the shot. He can already close down the field.

It's not just about speed of movement. It's a geometric reading of the rally: if the opponent's ball cannot come down, Coello uses that time to reduce the distance to the net.

The net, then the counter

Once advanced, Coello doesn't necessarily aim to finish on the first volley. He accepts remaining in a counter-attacking position, very close to the offensive line, where his wingspan and reflexes allow him to neutralize accelerations.

This is where his game becomes particularly unsettling. A powerful vibora, a quick bandeja, or a smash played to the body are normally used to push back the opposing pair. Against Coello, these shots guarantee nothing. He can block the ball, shorten his stroke, and maintain his position.

His goal is therefore not always to produce a winning volley. He wants to prevent his opponent from finding a low ball that would force him to retreat.

One of these coaches, Martín Canali, describes a player who is much more methodical than he appears:  "Arturo is a robot, it's A, B, C."  Unlike Tapia, who constantly improvises, Coello relies on a few extremely identifiable patterns, but executed with a precision and power that are difficult to counter.

In Málaga, the power of Lebrón and Augsburger was not enough

The last Málaga P1 final against Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger constitutes a revealing example.

On paper, this pair possesses exactly the weapons needed to fend off Coello: aerial power, heavy viboras, fast smashes, and the ability to accelerate from almost any area of ​​the court. Yet, the world number ones prevailed 6-2, 6-2 in under an hour.

Data from Padel Intelligence shows that the difference doesn't stem primarily from unforced errors. Lebrón and Augsburger committed only 13, compared to 14 for Coello and Tapia. On the other hand, they produced only  14 winning moves , against  25  for the number ones.

Even more impressive: in 86 points contested, Lebrón and Augsburger only managed to score  no break point They were therefore never able to apply enough pressure to unsettle the opponent's serve.

Coello finished this final with  16 winners for only six mistakes He also won seven of his ten smashes, a 70% success rate. His opponent's power failed to push him back for any significant period; on the contrary, it was Coello who deprived Augsburger of comfortable aerial balls by using deep lobs and aggressive volleys.

Why has lobbing become so difficult?

The problem posed by Coello is twofold.

A slightly short lob gives him an immediate opportunity to finish. But a medium-length lob also allows him to stay at the net thanks to his height and reach. His opponent must therefore find a near-perfect depth, without giving him enough time to prepare his smash.

Early-season data confirms this offensive dominance. After the first four tournaments of 2026, Coello was producing on average  6,4 winning forehand volleys per match , for only 1,5 errors on this shot. He added approximately  9,5 winning smashes per match , behind Galán and Augsburger but ahead of Tapia and Lebrón.

These statistics explain why opponents hesitate. Playing low to Coello allows him to counter. A slightly off-target lob lets him finish. And a full-body sprint isn't always enough to dislodge him.

Chingotto, the antidote through precision and variation

The best response may not be to attack Coello even harder, but to prevent him from anticipating.

Chingotto possesses precisely this ability. He can alternate between very high lobs, quick trajectories, chipped passes, crosses, and changes of pace. A recent segment in which Tapia and Coello were asked about their toughest opponents placed Chingotto among the defensive benchmarks cited by the top players.

Against Lebrón or Augsburger, Coello can often anticipate an acceleration, a vibora, or a smash. Chingotto offers him more trajectories and speeds. He forces him to hesitate between advancing, blocking, letting the ball pass, or retreating. Making Coello hesitate is already a first tactical victory.

A revolution, but not a complete invention

Coello is not the first attacking player to play on the right. Juan Lebrón had already significantly disrupted the traditional division of roles when he became world number one in that position. Pablo Lima and Juan Martín Díaz had also demonstrated that a left-hander could become the primary finisher in their pair.

The difference lies in the frequency and radical nature of Coello's positioning.

He's not just a right-handed player capable of smashing. He organizes a large part of his game to  avoid defending two consecutive shots at the back of the court His lob isn't just a survival shot; it's the signal for his own comeback. His chip shot isn't just a transition shot; it allows him to come for the counter. His height isn't just useful for smashing; it allows him to artificially reduce the depth available to his opponent.

The prototype of the right-sided attacking player

Arturo Coello is therefore not only revolutionizing the position through the number of winners he produces. He is transforming it through his occupation of the court.

The player on the right is no longer necessarily the one who defends while their partner attacks. Among the number ones, Tapia can take on a significant portion of the volume, creativity, and build-up play, while Coello gradually moves closer to the net to finish, block, or simply stifle the opponent's attacks.

Coello probably represents the most accomplished form of the attacking right-back: a player who defends well enough to survive, but whose entire tactic consists of  to stop defending as quickly as possible .

Antoine Tricolet

I discovered the Padel I stumbled into Spain at a campsite. I was instantly hooked; passionate about padel, I follow international and regional news with the same excitement as the sport itself.

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