The Streak is Over: Coello & Tapia Fall at Pretoria

Twenty-seven consecutive finals. Fifteen months without missing one. Then Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero walked onto the court in Pretoria and tore up the script.

The world #1 pair Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia fell 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinals. It was their first failure to reach a final since May 2025. Leal and Guerrero didn't just beat them. They outplayed them in straight sets in front of a stunned SunBet Arena.

One night earlier, Leal and Guerrero saved seven match points against Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger in the quarterfinals. The deciding tiebreak went 13-11. Fullview SA called it "the match of the year."

By the time they faced Coello and Tapia, fear was no longer a factor.

Ale Galán and Fede Chingotto took full advantage. In the final, they beat Leal and Guerrero 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(7) in a two-hour battle that La Nación called "the best final of the season." It was their sixth title of 2026 and first since Buenos Aires, a result that tightens the rankings race at the top.

The women's final matched the drama beat for beat. Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea defeated Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 in 2 hours and 53 minutes. Fifth title of the year for the world #1s.

But the real story was Fernández and Calvo. They were a brand-new pair playing their first tournament together. They reached the final and had championship point before Triay and Brea's experience pulled them through.

Pretoria delivered everything it promised: Africa's first Premier Padel event, two three-set finals, a broken dynasty, and a new pair to fear. The tour moves to London this week. Good luck topping that.

Source: Padel FIP — Titles for Brea-Triay and the 'Chingalan', Mundo Deportivo — Bombazo histórico en Pretoria