It has become  the classic of world padel For the past three seasons,  Arturo Coello / Agustín Tapia  et  Fede Chingotto / Ale Galán  they find themselves again and again in the final rounds of the biggest tournaments.

In London, the two pairs played their  39th confrontation including  38 in the final Impressive figures that testify to their dominance on the circuit. But they also raise a question: by constantly seeing the same poster,  Isn't this duel becoming too repetitive? 

An exceptional level, difficult to criticize.

From a sporting perspective, it's difficult to find fault with any of the four players.

For three years,  Tapia/Coello and Chingotto/Galán raised the level of world padel Rarely have two such strong pairs competed simultaneously on the circuit with such regularity.

The level of play in their matches is often spectacular. Each encounter pushes all four players to perform at their best.

This rivalry makes them both progress and clearly contributes to the evolution of professional padel.

But perhaps the problem lies elsewhere.

Always the same final, always the same patterns

Eventually, a form of weariness can set in.

The finals regularly offer  The same poster, the same tactical oppositions, and fairly similar scenarios Chingotto has to withstand Coello's pressure on the diagonal, Galán tries to gain as much ground as possible, Tapia uses all his creativity to open up spaces…

The four players now know each other inside out. And if their finals remain  spectacular in terms of the level of play offered They are often quite linear,  Few clashes and ultimately very little drama.  between the four protagonists.

And above all, despite the ability to  Chingotto and Galán pushed the number 1 teams to their limits. The result very often ends up being the same:  Tapia and Coello win .

To the point that a victory for Chingotto / Galán is almost starting to be seen as an achievement.

From 4-1 to 4-6 this season

The 2026 season perfectly encapsulates this dynamic.

 Chingotto and Galán had, however, started very strongly. winning four of their first five encounters against world number 1s. For once, it seemed as if the hierarchy was truly shifting.

But Tapia and Coello have reacted again.

Since then, they have won  five consecutive confrontations  against their main rivals. The record now stands at  6 wins to 4 for the number 1s this season .

London provided yet another example. Chingotto and Galán pushed their opponents to a third set, but in the crucial moments, they once again prevailed.  Coello and Tapia made the difference: 6/3 5/7 7/5 .

A scenario that repeats itself season after season

More generally, we have seen a fairly similar dynamic for several seasons now.

Tapia and Coello sometimes go through periods where they seem more accessible. Chingotto and Galán are getting closer, winning several confrontations and giving the impression of being able to challenge their dominance.

Then the number 1s accelerate.

They regain their consistency, string together titles and gradually pull away from the competition.  The wall is being rebuilt just as Galán and Chingotto finally seem close to crossing it. 

And 2026 could still follow this scenario.

Could Galán eventually start asking himself that question?

Perhaps this is where this rivalry becomes particularly interesting.

That's now  For three seasons, Galán and Chingotto have been trying to permanently dethrone Tapia and Coello. They beat them, sometimes several times in a short period, but they never managed to take their place as world number 1.

For  Ale Galán The wait is starting to feel long. The Spaniard has been trying to reclaim the world throne for several seasons, without success.

However, it's difficult to imagine an obvious solution.  Fede Chingotto remains one of the best players in the world  and their partnership works: finals, titles, consistency and the ability to compete with virtually everyone on the circuit.

Changing would therefore represent a huge gamble.

But if the second half of the season repeats the same scenario once again and that  Tapia and Coello continue to rack up victories. The question could inevitably come up again at the end of the year: should we continue trying to break down this wall with the same weapons or try something else?

The second half of the season as the arbiter of peace

For now, the rivalry remains exceptional in its level.  39 confrontations in three years  They mainly show how much these two teams are performing above the rest of the circuit.

But a great rivalry also needs uncertainty.

If Tapia and Coello continue to win the important matches and the finals remain almost always the same, the risk is that a once highly anticipated fixture will gradually become...  too predictable .

After the summer break, Chingotto and Galán will therefore have a new challenge:  break a scenario that seems to repeat itself season after season .

Because behind this new battle for the number 1 spot, another question may be hidden:  How much longer will Galán accept hitting the same wall before considering a new project? 

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 !

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