Madrid P1 2026: the race for No.1 and the new pairs take over the Movistar Arena

Professional padel is back in action. The Comunidad de Madrid Premier Padel P1, the fifth edition of the Madrid tournament, reopens the tour after the summer break with qualifying at Pro Padel Coslada (August 29-31) and the main draw at the Movistar Arena (September 1-6). The event hands out €479,068 in prize money and 1,000 FIP points to the champions, and lands just one week before the Paris Major (2,000 points). Madrid therefore holds all the spotlights of the second half of the season: the Race for No.1, the debut of the top new pairs and a legend's farewell.

A 1,290-point Race between the two best pairs

The resumption rekindles the duel that has defined the season. According to the FIP Race published on August 24, Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia sit on 10,440 points each, against 9,150 for Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto: a 1,290-point lead per player. The No.1s arrive with 8 titles and a 57-6 season record; their chasers have won 6 trophies with a 55-9 record.

The last duel before the break went the leaders' way: in the London P1 final, Coello and Tapia beat Galán and Chingotto 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. "The most important thing is to keep the desire to fight and win," Tapia said after that final. In Madrid, according to the draw, the two pairs can only meet in the final: the P1's 1,000 points do not by themselves close the gap in the Race, but the Paris Major, which follows immediately, can shake up the top of the standings.

The new pairs under the spotlight

Madrid will be the first real test of the two moves that shook August. Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas are back together as the fourth seeds, while Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz officially launch their project as fifth favourites. Both duos warmed up at the FIP Gold Belgrade, where they met in Sunday's final with the No.4 pairing spot in the rankings at stake.

The draw has served up plenty of intrigue for their debuts. Galán and Chingotto share half of the draw with Stupa-Sanz, so a hypothetical semifinal between the world No.2 pair and the new partners would be one of the tournament's biggest attractions. In the other half, Coello and Tapia could meet Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger, third seeds, in the semifinals — provided the latter get past a likely quarterfinal against Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal, the seventh pair and one of the revelations in Pretoria.

Women's draw: Triay-Brea lead, and Salazar's farewell

In the women's draw, Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea are the top seeds, followed by Paula Josemaría and Bea González, Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero and Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo, champions in London and the sensation of the summer. The projected semifinals would pit Triay-Brea against Sánchez-Ustero and Josemaría-González against Fernández-Calvo.

And there is a historic appointment: Alejandra Salazar, one of the greatest players in the sport's history and a Madrid native, will play her last professional event in her home city at the Movistar Arena before retiring at the end of the season. A tribute will be held in her honour on Sunday, September 6, between the finals.

From Coslada to the Movistar Arena

The tournament kicked off on Saturday in Coslada, with 48 men's and 28 women's pairs fighting for the eight qualifying spots in each draw. The three main-draw wild cards went to Hugo García-Carlos Del Pico, Iago Fuertes-Bentahor Espino and Javier Collantes-Asier Martínez, while veteran Miguel Lamperti, without an invitation, fell in the first qualifying round. The main draw starts on Tuesday, September 1, with the 16 seeds making their debuts on Wednesday 2, heading towards last-16 (Thursday 3) and quarterfinal (Friday 4) rounds that promise several blockbuster matches.

Madrid opens the decisive part of the season. New pairs on stage, the Race for No.1 at stake and a legend saying goodbye at home: the Movistar Arena has all the ingredients for an unforgettable tournament.