Rome Calls - Italy Major Draws Set as Padel Hits 19.4 Million Players

The Foro Italico has turned blue again. Qualifying for the fifth BNL Italy Major started yesterday, and by Tuesday, 240 athletes will be competing on one of padel's grandest stages. This is the first Major since the season opener - and the storylines are stacked.

Start with the men's draw. Fede Chingotto and Ale Galán (2) are chasing a third consecutive Rome title. No pair has ever won three straight at the same Major. They've won five tournaments in 2026 and trail Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia (1) by just 2,360 ranking points. A title here could flip the #1 ranking.

Then there's the reunion. Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno (6) are back together full-time, five years after their original partnership. They were finalists in the very first Italy Major in 2022 - and Rome is where they'll start this new chapter. "Paquito is going to bring out the best in me again," Di Nenno told Padel Addict. The nostalgia is real, and so is the intrigue.

The women's draw carries its own weight. Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay (1) defend the title they won last year - the victory that put Triay back at world #1, where she's stayed ever since. Standing in their way: Paula Josemaría and Bea González (2), riding a five-consecutive-title streak that nobody has been able to stop.

And then there's Ale Salazar. The legend is making her final Foro Italico appearance before retiring at season's end. She just reached the FIP Platinum Albania final with Ale Alonso - proving she can still compete at a high level. Her farewell in Rome hits different. This isn't about points.

Projected men's QFs: Coello/Tapia vs Garrido/Bergamini, Di Nenno/Navarro vs Stupaczuk/Yanguas, Lebrón/Augsburger vs Nieto/Sanz, and Leal/Guerrero vs Chingotto/Galán. The bracket is loaded.

Source: Premier Padel - Italy Major draws, Padel Addict - Di Nenno interview