Kuwait Major 2026: Galán-Chingotto out, Coello-Tapia clear favourites — the contenders' rackets

The Premier Padel tour lands in the Middle East this week for a tournament grown at the last minute: the Kuwait Major, played October 25-31 at the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait with 2,000 points on offer for the champions. The men's main draw opened this Sunday with the first round; the women's starts Monday the 26th. And it does so with a storyline that changes everything: Ale Galán and Fede Chingotto, the second seeds, have withdrawn due to the Madrid man's injury, confirmed by Premier Padel just before the draw.

A last-minute Major with a Major's prize money

The tournament was born as a P1 and was elevated to Major status — the tour's top category — after the Doha event was postponed. The upgrade is not cosmetic: the winners take 2,000 points (double a P1) and the prize money pot reaches €1,044,849, according to the official FIP event page. The Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait is no ordinary venue either: it already hosted the 2024 Kuwait P1 and the 2025 FIP World Cup Pairs, the pairs World Championship won by none other than Galán and Chingotto. With 48 men's pairs and 40 women's pairs in the main draw, the schedule bites from day one: round of 16 on Wednesday the 28th, quarter-finals Thursday the 29th, semi-finals Friday the 30th and the final on Saturday the 31st at 4 pm, all on indoor courts — MejorSet structures, MONDO turf — with Bullpadel Next Pro balls.

The withdrawal that changes everything

Galán-Chingotto's retirement strikes the battle for number one we analysed at September's Madrid P1: the world No. 2 pair needed to pile up points in Kuwait to close the gap and are left without the chance. The big beneficiaries are Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, who arrive on a roll: four consecutive titles — Paris, Rotterdam, Düsseldorf and Milan — plus eleven trophies in 2026 and an overwhelming winning record this season. Their latest reference is the Allianz Cloud final: a week ago they came back on Lebrón-Augsburger 4-6 6-3 6-2 to seal the Milan poker.

The draw: Coello-Tapia's road runs through Lebrón

With Galán-Chingotto out, the top half becomes the hot zone: Tapia-Coello (1) and Lebrón-Augsburger (3) can only meet in the semi-finals, and the Spanish-Argentine pair arrive straight from the Milan final. The corridor also includes a potential quarter-final against Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno (5), with the Coki Nieto-Mike Yanguas (6) wall waiting in Coello's section before that. In the bottom half, Stupaczuk-Jon Sanz (4) inherit the favourites' role after the withdrawal, with Guerrero-Leal (7) as the direct rival of similar level.

The contenders' rackets, in the catalog

The weapons on show in Kuwait all have catalog pages with real specs and prices: Agustín Tapia plays the Nox AT10 Luxury Genius 18K Alum 2026 by Agustín Tapiafrom 169,90 € and Arturo Coello the Head Coello Pro 2026from 142,11 €. Juan Lebrón opens his 2027 season with the Babolat Viper 3.1from 351,99 € — the evolution of the Viper 3.0 he won Milan with — while Stupa wields the Siux Electra Pro IT 26from 232,99 € and Jon Sanz the Drop Shot Axion Attack 2.0 2026from 149,95 €. In the No. 5 pair: Paquito Navarro swings the Bullpadel Hack 05from 284,99 € and Di Nenno the Bullpadel XPLO 02from 296,99 €. Leo Augsburger is the only contender without his own racket page in our catalog for now.

Women's draw: a throne up for grabs with 6,500 points on the table

The women's draw keeps all its tension: Triay-Brea (1) defend the leadership chased by Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero (3), the in-form pair of the autumn after winning three of the last four events — Paris, Rotterdam and Milan — and cutting the gap to 1,980 points with 6,500 still in play. In Milan they already took down the world No. 1s in the semis (6-1 6-4). Josemaría-Bea González (2) and the young Claudia Fernández-Martina Calvo (4) complete the favourites' pack. Women's rackets in the catalog: Gemma Triay (Bullpadel Elite 02from 241,99 €), Delfi Brea (Vertex 05 Woman), Ari Sánchez (Adidas Arrow HIT Light 2026from 175,99 €), Bea González (Pearl W 26) and Claudia Fernández (Bullpadel Wonder).

Schedule and where to watch

The men's first round plays this Sunday the 25th (2 pm) with the women's debut on Monday the 26th (12 pm); round of 16 Wednesday the 28th, quarter-finals Thursday the 29th, semi-finals Friday the 30th (2 pm) and the final on Saturday the 31st (4 pm), all at the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait. The tournament is broadcast live on Red Bull TV, which carries the Kuwait Major from start to finish.