Téo Zapata, a start to the season almost entirely alone

The start of the 2026 season is anything but smooth sailing for Teo Zapata In a circuit where the changes of partners As these incidents have multiplied in recent weeks, the Spaniard now finds himself in a rather uncomfortable position: without a truly stable project .

A quick separation from Curro Cabeza

At the beginning, footings had launched his season alongside Curro Cabeza An association that ultimately didn't last long, as the two players ended their collaboration after the Gijon P2 .

Since then, the Spaniard has struggled to regain any real consistency. He hasn't even played in the Cancun P2, nor the Miami P1 And while the circuit has undergone a massive wave of restructuring, he has not really managed to reposition himself in a sustainable project.

A partnership of convenience with Jairo Bautista in Newgiza

For the Newgiza P2 , Teo Zapata will eventually share the track with Jairus Baptist But this is not a truly new medium-term project.

This association is primarily a temporary solution. Baptist found himself without a partner because of the Lucas Campagnolo's injury , While footings He, too, was available. As a result, the two players decided to compete together in this tournament.

A somewhat makeshift pairing, which also raises a real question on the field: Both players normally play on the left It would therefore not be surprising to see footings occasionally veering to the right, in a register that is less natural for him.

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In Brussels, yet another pair

And the situation doesn't seem likely to last. Because for the Brussels P2 , footings is already committed… with another partner.

This time, he will compete in the qualifications next to Rodrigo Coello Manso , the brother of Arturo Coello Here again, everything suggests a temporary association rather than a structured project.

On paper, their combined ranking puts them in a precarious position. Zapata is ranked 81st in the world , While Coello Manso point at 127th world rank Result: the pair is only seed 8 in qualifying .

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What comes next?

That's precisely where the real issue lies. Because beyond Newgiza and Brussels , Téo Zapata is not registered for any other tournaments for the time being.

And above all, there is no indication that he will continue with Rodrigo Coello Manso after Belgium.

A market that's already almost locked down

The problem for footings Timing is also a factor. The majority of new pairs have already formed very quickly, even before Newgiza that is, before Brussels . In short: the great wave of restructuring has already passed .

And under these conditions, it remains today very few profiles available to launch a truly new and competitive project.

For a player of his experience and skill level, the situation inevitably raises questions. Teo Zapata has not yet found the right fit, and his start to the season gives the image of a player awaiting stability , at a time when the circuit itself is moving very fast.

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 !