Chingalan Reign in Madrid — and the City Says Goodbye to Its Queen
Madrid said goodbye to its queen — and crowned two new champions. Alejandra Salazar, the most decorated player in padel history, played her last match in her home city on Friday and returned Sunday to 15,000 fans raising phone lights. "I've enjoyed this path like a little girl. Thank you, padel, for everything." Then it was Galán and Chingotto's turn: two hours and 43 minutes to win the Comunidad de Madrid P1 — and to make the No. 1 race interesting again.
Chingotto and Galán beat Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas 6-4 5-7 6-4 in a final that swung on a single break in the ninth game of the decider. It's their seventh title of the season, one behind Coello/Tapia, and Galán's first Madrid crown since 2022. Chingotto dedicated it to his future son.
The win lands harder because of what came before it. World No. 1s Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia fell to the very pair that reached the final — Nieto/Yanguas beat them 7-5 7-6 in the quarter-finals. The cushion at the top of the rankings just shrank by nearly a third — and the Paris Major, the season's second-biggest prize, starts today.
The women's final was the No. 1s' own statement. Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay came from a set down to beat Paula Josemaría and Bea González 6-7 6-3 6-3, a sixth title of the season. Triay now sits level with Salazar on 58 career titles.
The second half of the season could not have asked for a better opening: the No. 1 race is alive, the farewell tour continues — and the Paris Major starts today.
Source: Padel FIP — Madrid bids farewell to Ale Salazar as Brea-Triay and the 'Chingalan' triumph, Sport — Chingotto y Galán se coronan en Madrid, Marca — El emotivo homenaje a Ale Salazar
Quick Hits
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Belgrade's verdict is in: Stupaczuk/Sanz are for real. The new pair won the FIP Gold in their first tournament together, beating former partners Nieto/Yanguas 6-3 7-5 in the final. That result locked them in as the No. 4 seeds for Paris — one week before Nieto/Yanguas pushed Chingalan to three sets in Madrid. (Padel FIP)
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Padel just became America's fastest-growing sport. The SFIA's mid-year report shows participation up 14.5% — while pickleball, five-time winner of that crown, grew just 1.3%. Overall US sports participation hit an all-time high of 81.3%. Every US investor and league will cite this stat for a year. (Sports Business Journal)
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Soul Padel raised £3.6M to go from four clubs to ten. The Manchester operator closed a Series A at a £30M valuation, backed by three family offices, with six new sites already permitted. The ambition: 250 courts by 2032. Measured capital, not VC froth — a useful snapshot of UK padel's financing appetite. (SGI Europe)
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Carbon 3K for €100: Kuikma's price revolution. Decathlon's padel brand unveiled its Dynamic range at Madrid P1 — three rackets (Power, Hybrid, Control) with the 3K carbon usually reserved for premium models, all at €100. Coki Nieto endorses the Hybrid, and was days away from a Madrid final with it in his bag. (Tennis Tonic)
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Hernández and Collado are splitting after Paris. One of the circuit's most stable pairs — friends since childhood, together over a year — announced their final tournament together will be the Paris Major. Two early exits pushed the decision, and their split will ripple through their ranking area. (Padel Magazine)
Weekend Results
Madrid P1 — Movistar Arena (Aug 31–Sep 6) (Full recap — Padel FIP)
Men's draw:
- 🥇 Galán/Chingotto (2) def. Nieto/Yanguas (5) 6-4 5-7 6-4 — 2h43, seventh title of 2026
- SF: Galán/Chingotto def. Jofre/Bautista 6-3 6-4; Nieto/Yanguas def. Alfonso/Libaak 6-4 7-6
- Upsets: Coello/Tapia (1) lost QF to Nieto/Yanguas 7-5 7-6; Lebrón/Augsburger (3) and Stupaczuk/Sanz (4) out in R16
Women's draw:
- 🥇 Triay/Brea (1) def. Josemaría/González (2) 6-7 6-3 6-3 — sixth title of 2026, Triay ties Salazar at 58
- SF: Triay/Brea def. Sánchez/Ustero 6-2 6-4; Josemaría/González def. Fernández/Calvo 3-6 6-2 7-5 — from 0-5 down in the third
- Salazar/Osoro lost QF 6-3 6-3 to Triay/Brea — Salazar's last match in Madrid
FIP Gold Belgrade (final, Aug 30): (Full results — Padel FIP)
- 🥇 Men: Stupaczuk/Sanz def. Nieto/Yanguas 6-3 7-5 — and the No. 4 seed at Paris
- 🥇 Women: Rufo/Iglesias def. Salazar/Osoro 4-6 6-3 6-1
No WPT or A1 Padel events this week.
Coming Up Next
Paris Major — Sep 7–13, Roland Garros 🇫🇷 (starts today!) The season's second Major begins Monday with qualifying already underway. Coello/Tapia (1) chase a fourth straight Roland Garros title — the bounce-back test after Madrid. The potential quarter-finals include a Madrid final rematch: Nieto/Yanguas (5) vs Chingotto/Galán (2). Women: Triay/Brea (1) defend; Josemaría/González (2) hunt revenge; Salazar/Osoro (8) could meet Sánchez/Ustero (3) in the QFs. French wild cards: Fonteny/Moragues, Guichard/Geens, Boronad/Robert (men), Bahurel/Val López, Touly/Clasca (women). Leygue/Moya enter qualifying as seed 5.
Watch: Canal+ (France/Spain), Premier Padel YouTube, Red Bull TV, ESPN+ (US).
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Did You Know?
Fede Chingotto won the Madrid P1 while expecting his first child — and dedicated the title to his future son, as Sport and FIP both noted. It was also Galán's first Madrid crown since 2022. A first Madrid title and a first child in the same week: not bad timing.
Player Spotlight
Alejandra Salazar
Alejandra Salazar (Spain)
She is the most decorated player in padel history: 62 titles, seven World Championships, four seasons finishing world No. 1 — with three different partners, across 26 consecutive seasons.
Her Madrid farewell became the emotional peak of the tournament. After losing her final home match to the world No. 1s, Salazar walked a guard of honor formed by her family and the figures of her career — Carolina Navarro, Claudia Fernández, Gemma Triay.
The career isn't over yet. She still hopes to qualify for the Barcelona Finals and to make Spain's squad for the World Championship in Qatar. But Madrid — the city that asked, 30 years ago, "¿Al pa qué?" — now knows exactly what padel is. It thanked her properly.
Hot Take
The Coello/Tapia invincibility era is officially over — and that's the best thing that could have happened to the season's second half.
For two years, the world No. 1s have been a foregone conclusion at almost every event. Then Madrid: a quarter-final loss to Nieto/Yanguas, a ranking cushion cut by nearly a third, and Galán/Chingotto one title behind with the Paris Major — and the season's biggest prizes — still ahead.
The numbers now back a real race — and Madrid proved the No. 1s are beatable. Coello/Tapia still have the edge, but every draw from here carries consequence — and that's what turns casual viewers into followers. Padel's title fight is finally a fight. Agree? Hit reply.
Number of the Week
14.5%
US padel participation growth — the fastest-growing sport in America, while pickleball grew just 1.3%
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