That 6-0 handed to them by Chingotto and Galan in the third set of the 2025 final at the Allianz Cloud is something Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia have not forgotten. The world number ones are in a hurry: in less than an hour, with two 6-2 sets, they dispatched Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1. In Pretoria, Guerrero and Leal had pulled off the feat of beating Arturito and Agus, but there was no contest at the Allianz Cloud. After 59 minutes of top-class padel, Coello and Tapia secured another match at a venue where they had already triumphed in 2024. “Yes, it was a perfect match, also thanks to the ‘king’ Coello”, said the Argentine. “It’s never easy to play three weeks in a row, and if we keep performing at such a high level, we also have our team to thank for supporting us both physically and psychologically. We haven’t always played at 100%, so winning makes us particularly proud”. Their superiority was overwhelming, but Coello is not satisfied: “We’re in a good moment, but it’s probably not our best ever. However, we’re winning, and that gives us confidence”.
The welcome in Milan for the kings of world padel has been fit for royalty. Fans have been chasing selfies and autographs, including Inter defender Manuel Akanji, who swapped shirts with Arturo. “Milan is one of my favourite cities. When I come here, I almost feel as if I’m on holiday”, he admitted. “The place, the people — I like everything about it”. “The Italian crowd never ceases to surprise us”, added Tapia, also recalling their victory at the Rome Major in June. “They support us so much, but, more generally, they’re crazy about padel, and that’s another reason why we’re always happy to come back”. Coello and Tapia will continue playing together until the end of the month, but there is one week when they will have to go their separate ways: the week of the FIP World Cup in Doha. Argentina, with Tapia, won two years ago, but what will happen this time? “If I had to choose a partner for the decisive match, I’d say Chingotto or Arce”, Tapia assured. Coello, meanwhile, is backing “Nieto or Galan”.
Tomorrow, in the first of the two semi-finals, Coello and Tapia will face the pair they beat in the finals in both Rotterdam and Düsseldorf. Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz have been drawn in the same half of the draw in Milan and, after beating Momo Gonzalez and Lucas Campagnolo 6-3 6-4 in a match that earned the magnificent setting of the Centre Court after the morning session had ended, they will be looking to reach their third consecutive final. “We’re very happy with the level we’ve been bringing to the court recently”, said Sanz. “We’re playing well and consistently, which is essential in this sport if you want to remain competitive over the long term”. Stupaczuk has already reached a final in Milan, in 2023 with Di Nenno, when they lost in a third-set tie-break to Lebron and Galan. “We’re happy to play this tournament because the atmosphere is fantastic and the fans are incredible. This is one of the events padel fans mark on their calendars: it’s a unique occasion”. They will need to find the winning formula. “Every time we face Coello and Tapia, we think about how to stop them, but it’s not easy because they’re a spectacular pair”, the Argentine admitted. “I think we’ll need to take the second set of our last match against them as our reference from the start, rather than giving them the first set as we did last time. If we can get a break, we’ll be able to put them under pressure. I’ll try to think back to my victory over them in 2023, remember it and pass that memory on to Jon. This is the ideal moment for us to give it a go”. It will still be a very tough task.