Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz to team up from the Madrid P1
The partner shuffle shakes up the top of the rankings: Franco Stupaczuk will play with Jon Sanz from the Madrid P1, while Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas reunite at the Movistar Arena.
Redacción PalaComparer · · 4 min read
The most anticipated move of the summer is now official: Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz will play together from the Madrid P1, which takes place at the Movistar Arena in the first week of September. The news, first reported on August 10 and confirmed days later with a joint social media presentation, brings one of the biggest storylines of the Premier Padel partner market to a close.
The partner shuffle shaking up the top of the rankings
It all started on August 6, when Stupaczuk announced on social media the split from Mike Yanguas after they were eliminated in the round of 32 at the London P1. The pair, who had joined forces in January, posted a disappointing first half of the season by their own standards: six semifinals, just one final, and losing their spot as the No. 3 pair in the rankings to Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger. "Our paths separate once again and we put an end to our padel together. I wish you the best," wrote the Argentine.
The breakup triggered a domino effect. Stupaczuk has chosen left-handed Navarrese player Jon Sanz as his new partner, who until now shared a project with Coki Nieto. And the two "left behind" players of the move, Nieto and Yanguas, have decided to play together again: they already formed a solid duo throughout 2025, reaching numerous semifinals and giving the world's best pairs a scare on several occasions, though without making a single final.
Stupa returns to playing with a lefty
The new pair has a clear tactical reading: Stupaczuk once again bets on a left-handed profile by his side, a variation he had not used since his stage with Pablo Lima in 2022. The right-handed player from Chaco will play on the drive side, while Jon Sanz will take the backhand side, his natural wing as a lefty. On court, expect a highly electric duo, with two hitters capable of speeding up the rhythm of any point.
When it comes to gear, Stupa's return to a left-handed profile also changes the aerial game: Sanz's backhand with rebound off the wall will be key to breaking defensive blocks. The side you play on conditions your paddle choice more than you might think: a drive player looking for ball speed is not the same as a backhand player who lives off the bandeja and the víbora.
Jon Sanz: "I felt stuck in a loop"
In an interview with MARCA, Jon Sanz explained the reasons behind the change with complete honesty: "I felt stuck in a loop, even with myself, and I told myself I had to turn it around, do something different." The player from Pamplona was self-critical and made it clear the decision was purely sporting: "It's not about Coki's level, nor Maxi [Grabiel]'s, nor my coach's."
The Navarrese player also denied that the rankings played any part in his choice: "The points were not part of my decision," he said, revealing that he only found out a few days earlier that they would start as fifth seeds in Madrid. His goal for the second half of the year goes beyond titles: "What I think I'm going to have are new hopes. I'm excited about a new project, a new team. Right now I'm motivated and eager."
Worth remembering: Jon Sanz already knows what it takes to win titles. In his first stage alongside Coki Nieto they won the Bordeaux P2 and the Barcelona Premier Finals, while in their second spell together they never reached a final.
A video-game presentation
The new duo introduced themselves with a video produced by Twenty4 Studios in which, using artificial intelligence, both players are recreated as video-game characters. Published on both players' social media, the clip has become one of the most viral of the week and sets the tone for the project.
Coki and Yanguas, fourth seeds in Madrid
Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas' reunion will be immediate: they will debut at the same tournament, the Madrid P1, as fourth seeds, edging out Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz by a very small margin in points, who will start as fifth seeds. The gap is so small that their performances in the coming events will decide who keeps that coveted fourth spot, which Paquito Navarro also aspires to.
A context of absolute dominance
The move lands in a season defined by the hegemony of Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, who lead the rankings with more than 6,000 points of advantage over Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto, second. After Stupa-Yanguas lost the No. 3 spot, Lebrón and Augsburger complete the podium.
In the individual standings, Stupaczuk (7th) and Yanguas (8th) remain in the upper tier, with Paquito Navarro (9th) and Coki Nieto (10th) close behind. With the Barcelona Finals (only the top 16 in each category) as the big end-of-season event, every tournament in this second half will be decisive in securing a ticket to the Palau Sant Jordi.
Professional padel proves, once again, that rankings are as volatile as the pairings themselves. The second half of 2026 promises plenty of excitement.