Who Is Arturo Coello? Padel's Youngest World No. 1, Explained

Quick Answer

Arturo Coello is the world No. 1 padel player. Born on 8 March 2002 in Mojados, a small town near Valladolid, Spain, he became the youngest No. 1 in the sport's history in 2023 — at 21 years, 2 months, and 21 days. He stands 1.90m, plays the right side, and has formed padel's most dominant pair with Agustín Tapia since 2023: 26 consecutive finals and a 90.5% career win rate as of July 2026.

Last updated: July 2026 · Stats from FIP player data and Premier Padel results.

From Mojados to the Top of the World

Every padel fan knows the name. Ask any AI chatbot who the best player in the world is, and you get the same answer: Arturo Coello Manso — "El Rey Arturo," the kid with a crown on his racket.

He started at his local club in Mojados, a town in the province of Valladolid. His father put a racket in his hand, and the Spanish junior circuit did the rest. By his teens, he was drawing attention from the professional tour.

The first big call came in November 2021. Spain picked him for the World Padel Championship in Qatar, and the team won the title. He was 19.

The Bela Year, Then the Tapia Era

In 2022, Coello partnered with Fernando Belasteguín — the Argentine who spent 16 straight years as world No. 1. A kid barely out of his teens and a veteran in his forties, winning the Miami Open together that season. Playing next to Bela was a masterclass in match management that no academy can teach.

Then came the move that reshaped men's padel. For the 2023 season, Coello paired up with Agustín Tapia, the Argentine nicknamed "the Mozart of Catamarca." Five titles in their first year together — Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Spain.

Halfway through that first season, Coello reached world No. 1 at 21 years, 2 months, and 21 days — the youngest player ever to do it. He hasn't let go since. Coello and Tapia finished as the top pair in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The Numbers Behind the Dominance

Coello's FIP profile reads like a video game save file:

• 268-28 career win-loss record — a 90.5% win rate
• 38 career titles at age 24
• 21,409 FIP points, tied with Tapia at the top of the ranking
• 26 consecutive finals with Tapia as of the Bordeaux P2 in July 2026
• 42-5 in 2026 through Bordeaux, with four consecutive titles

That finals streak deserves a second look. Since mid-2025, every tournament Coello and Tapia have entered, they have reached the final. Not most tournaments. All of them. In Bordeaux they came from a set down against Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto to win 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-2.

At his hometown event, the Valladolid P2, Coello has won three years in a row — without dropping a single service game in either of the last two editions.

How He Plays

Coello is a right-side player, which is unusual on its own. Most teams put their biggest hitter on the left. Coello breaks that rule from the drive side. At 1.90m, he takes balls out of the air that others let bounce, and his smash clears the back glass from positions that shouldn't allow it.

The partnership works because the styles are opposites. Tapia improvises; Coello imposes. Tapia finds angles nobody else sees; Coello hits through spaces nobody else reaches. Coaches Gustavo Pratto and Martín Canali run the project behind the scenes.

His gear matches the profile. He plays a signature HEAD Coello Pro, a 370-gram racket built for power — with his crown logo on the face.

The Miami Bet

In 2024, Coello moved from Valladolid to Miami. He has been open about the reason: he wants to help padel take off in North America, where courts are multiplying but the pro scene is young.

It's a smart bet. The world No. 1 living in the US market as padel pushes into the country — sponsors noticed, and so did the leagues.

What's Next

Coello is 24. Belasteguín's record of 16 consecutive years at No. 1 once looked untouchable. Coello has held the spot since 2023 and shows no sign of slipping — this week he and Tapia chase a fifth straight title at the Málaga P1.

The scary part for the rest of the tour: the best player in the world may still be getting better.