Rome rewrites the script — Coello/Tapia and Brea/Triay reclaim the throne
The BNL Italy Major just delivered the most dramatic week in Premier Padel history. By the time the confetti settled at the Foro Italico on Saturday night, the #1 pairs in both draws had reasserted their dominance — but the road there was anything but straightforward.
Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia beat Federico Chingotto and Alejandro Galán 7-5, 7-6(5) in a men's final that lived up to its "Clásico" billing. Chingotto/Galán had won four straight meetings and two consecutive Rome titles. This time, the world #1s found their level: 58 winners against 21 unforced errors. Coello called it "a special victory" while Tapia dropped a staggering stat — this was their 23rd consecutive final.
Twenty-three. In a row.
On the women's side, Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay defeated Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero 6-1, 7-5 to win back-to-back Rome titles. But the real story happened 24 hours earlier.
Sánchez and Ustero played the longest match in Premier Padel history to beat Paula Josemaría and Bea González 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the semifinal. Four hours and 12 minutes. They saved four match points. Four. Two at 6-5 in the second set, one at 8-7 in the tiebreak, one at 6-5 in the deciding-set tiebreak. Josemaría/González's 22-match winning streak and five consecutive titles evaporated in one extraordinary night.
The exhaustion showed in the final — Sánchez/Ustero dropped the first set 1-6 — but nothing can take away what they achieved. That semifinal is an instant classic.
Triay was candid: "Winning this tournament is very important after losing five finals consecutively. Reaching #1 is very hard, but defending it is harder."
Over 9,000 fans packed the Foro Italico for finals night. Rome remains padel's grandest stage.
Source: Padel Addict — Italy Major finals, Padel FIP — Historic semifinal
Quick Hits
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Giulia Dal Pozzo makes Italian history — The 21-year-old became the first Italian player ever to reach a Premier Padel Major semifinal. Partnering with Nuria Rodríguez, she won 10 consecutive games in her QF comeback before falling to Brea/Triay 3-6, 3-6 in the semis. At world #50, she's Italy's biggest padel hope — and the Foro Italico crowd let her know it. (Padel Tonic)
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Momo González cries, then conquers — González and Lucas Campagnolo were the tournament's giant-killers, upsetting 3rd seeds Stupaczuk/Yanguas 6-4, 7-6, then beating the reunited Navarro/Di Nenno 6-3, 6-3 in the QF. González was in tears after avenging a loss to Stupaczuk/Yanguas from just one week earlier in Albania. Their run ended in the SF against Coello/Tapia. (Padel FIP)
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"We don't live with dignity" — Rafa Méndez's viral rant — Spanish player Rafa Méndez (world #114) broke down the economics of being a pro padel player: €1,900 first-round Major payout, €1,300 flight to Argentina, €3,000-4,000 monthly expenses. His conclusion: "It's impossible to be a true professional." The video, sparked by the pro-amateur pairing controversy at FIP Platinum Albania, went viral on Marca. (Marca)
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Tatler Asia + Standard Chartered launch padel in Asia — The Tatler Padel Series 2026 will travel across Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok over six months. Standard Chartered and Club Med are backing it. When a major international bank sponsors padel in Asia, the sport has crossed a credibility threshold. (MENAFN)
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Padel arrives in Kenya and Seattle — Two expansion stories from opposite ends of the spectrum: Carrefour Kenya hosted its inaugural Open Padel Tournament in Nairobi (June 4-7), while Jam Padel opened Seattle's first padel facility in Bellevue, right next to Meta's campus. Founding memberships: $1,200-2,200. (Soko Directory, Downtown Bellevue)
Weekend Results
BNL Italy Major — Foro Italico, Rome
🏆 Men's final: Arturo Coello / Agustín Tapia (1) def. Federico Chingotto / Alejandro Galán (2) — 7-5, 7-6(5) SF: Chingotto/Galán def. Lebrón/Augsburger — 7-6, 6-3 SF: Coello/Tapia def. González/Campagnolo — 6-1, 6-4
🏆 Women's final: Delfi Brea / Gemma Triay (1) def. Ari Sánchez / Andrea Ustero (3) — 6-1, 7-5 SF: Brea/Triay def. Dal Pozzo/Rodríguez — 6-3, 6-3 SF: Sánchez/Ustero def. Josemaría/González (2) — 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 ⭐ (4h12m)
Notable upsets: González/Campagnolo def. Stupaczuk/Yanguas (3) 6-4, 7-6 | González/Campagnolo def. Navarro/Di Nenno (6) 6-3, 6-3 | Dal Pozzo/Rodríguez def. Fernández/Araújo (4)
Coming Up Next
Valencia P1 starts today (June 8-14). Back-to-back with Rome means fatigue will be a factor. Coello/Tapia and Chingotto/Galán are top seeds. Watch for early upsets — the top pairs just played a grueling Major week.
Key storyline: can González/Campagnolo carry their Rome momentum? And how do Sánchez/Ustero recover from a 4h12m semifinal? Physical recovery is one thing; mental recovery after saving four match points and then losing the final might be harder.
Valencia main draw men's 1st round: today. Women's main draw starts Tuesday. Stream on Premier Padel YouTube.
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Did You Know?
The Italy Major semifinal between Sánchez/Ustero and Josemaría/González (4h12m) lasted longer than the 2025 Italy Major women's final and both its semifinals combined. The previous Premier Padel record? Exactly 4 hours — Milan P1 2024, Riera/Borrero vs Saiz/Lobo.
Player Spotlight
Giulia Dal Pozzo
Nationality: Italian | Ranking: World #50 | Age: 21
Dal Pozzo just became the first Italian player to reach a Major semifinal — in her home country, at the Foro Italico, with 9,000 fans cheering her name. She plays with Nuria Rodríguez and is known for an aggressive style that feeds off crowd energy.
Her QF comeback — winning 10 consecutive games after trailing 3-1 in the second set — showed a competitive fire that can't be taught. At 21, she's the face Italian padel has been waiting for. One to watch closely for the rest of 2026.
Hot Take
Giulia Dal Pozzo's semifinal run matters more for padel's future than Coello/Tapia winning another title. The sport desperately needs local heroes in its expansion markets. Spain and Argentina dominate padel the way Brazil dominates football — completely. But for the sport to grow globally, it needs faces from host nations.
A 21-year-old Italian reaching a Major SF at the Foro Italico with the crowd behind her is worth more than any marketing campaign Premier Padel could buy. If padel can produce a Dal Pozzo in Italy, it needs to figure out how to produce the equivalent in the UK, the US, and Asia. Local heroes build fandoms. Everything else is infrastructure.
Agree? Hit reply.
Number of the Week
4h 12m
The longest match in Premier Padel history — Sánchez/Ustero vs Josemaría/González in the Italy Major semifinal
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