Guest at the microphone of Twenty Ten Padel,  Jorge Martinez , coach of the world's second pair,  Alejandro Galán  et  Fede Chingotto , looks back on the dynamics of his players and the great rivalry with  Agustín Tapia  et  Arturo Coello . He also shares his opinion on the rumors regarding a potentially more complementary right-wing player to help  Gallant  to compete with the world number 1s.

A promising start to the season

The season did not start in the best way for  Chingotto  et  Gallant , eliminated in the quarter-finals of the first tournament of the year in Riyadh by  Augsburgers  et  Cardona The boycott episode then disrupted the plans of the top players, who refocused on preparation before the resumption of competition in Miami in March, where the pair was crowned, before following up with a second title in Santiago. Two titles in two tournaments: the pair  Chingotto / Galan  puts pressure on his opponents.

“Competition is often judged by results, but we coaches must also evaluate other things: commitment, intensity, discipline, and seriousness. And in this respect, Chingo and Galán are impeccable.”

The “classico”: a one-sided rivalry

The pair  Chingotto / Galan  begins to dream of the number one place... until the finals lost in Doha and Brussels against  Coello  et  Wall .
The face-to-face is now brought to  12 wins for Tapia / Coello against 5 for Chingotto / Galán .

“It's clear that there's one pair that's number one for their merits, their results, their game, their resources—that's Tapia and Coello, without a doubt. And we're doing everything we can to develop our padel and compete with them. They're a very difficult pair to beat.”

Despite this domination,  Jorge Martinez  maintains a positive discourse and sees this rivalry as a lever for progress.

“I told my players after the match, 'This is great, because this pairing only pushes us to get better.' They beat us, but they are so good, demanding, and complete that they force us to improve. If we approach it like that, beyond winning or losing, we improve.”

The Spaniard insists on not trivializing the exceptional in a circuit  Premier Padel  increasingly competitive, where many pairs have the potential to beat the best.

“Yes, it's a duel against the No. 1 pair, but you have to remember that the other pairs are coming in very strong too. You can lose in any round. You shouldn't normalize what happened last year or what's happening this year—being in the final of every tournament is exceptional.”

A speech that reflects the regularity of the pair  Chingotto / Galan , present in the final of the  last four tournaments , despite the superiority of  Coello  et  Wall , authors of an almost perfect season last year and again this season.

“What we're doing is incredibly valuable. And what Tapia and Coello are doing is even more valuable. Their ability to win tournaments and dominate padel is impressive. I can only be grateful—it's a pleasure to play against them; they help us improve.”

Tactics to compete

Despite an excellent start to the season, defeats in Doha and Brussels have widened a gap of  10 120 points  between the two duos.  Wall  et  Coello  seem to dominate not only mentally, but also tactically.

“The way they play bothers us a lot, because of their technical and physical characteristics. They're a pair that doesn't suit us very well—not just us, but everyone—but especially us.”

The explosive and unpredictable style of  Wall  et  Coello , based on rapid attacks, contrasts with the more patient and structured game of  Chingotto  et  Gallant , focused on point construction and defensive coverage.

“Their style of play bothers me because it combines Arturo's sobriety and efficiency with Tapia's often unpredictable, moment-to-moment nature. And when these two aspects combine, we depend on them a lot, and that's what bothers me the most.”

The last victory of  Chingotto / Galan  against the number 1 goes back to  last July in Genoa . Since then,  nine consecutive defeats  mark a real domination of  Coello / Tapia .

“I think we need to emphasize what we've already said: value everyday life, work, effort, and approach each match like a final. Play your heart out, give your best. And then, the result is what it is, depending on your performance.
But if you step outside of that and start counting: 'they've beaten us so many times,' 'we can't do it,' then you're carrying an unnecessary burden."

Considering a separation of the couple?

These results have fueled rumors:  Gallant  Could he aim for the number 1 spot again with another right-wing player?  Jorge Martinez , this idea has no basis.

“No, I don't see a player on the right better than Chingotto.
You can analyze each player technically, say that one is taller, left-handed, etc. I think Chingotto does his job very well, that he tries hard every day, that the cohabitation with him is good, that the team works. And that is very commendable. So no, I don't see a replacement."

Nicolas Fillaudeau

A big sports enthusiast and former tennis player, I discovered padel a few years ago without really focusing on it. Then I became addicted to this sport by practicing it and watching the premier padel matches. Looking forward to sharing the 2025 news with you!

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