Galán injury forces him and Chingotto out of the Kuwait Major, leaving Coello and Tapia as clear favourites

Ale Galán and Fede Chingotto, the No. 2 seeds, have withdrawn from the Premier Padel Kuwait Major after an injury to Galán, Premier Padel confirmed as the men's main draw began on Sunday, 25 October. It is a major loss for the tournament, which gives 2,000 ranking points to the winners, twice as many as a P1 event.

No details on the injury

Galán announced the news himself on Instagram. "Unfortunately, I will miss the Premier Padel Kuwait Major due to an injury," he wrote, adding that he hopes to be back on court soon, as quoted by Tennis Tonic. Neither he nor Premier Padel said what the injury is or how long it could keep him out, and Padel Magazine warned that it is too early to talk about a long absence.

The timing matters. The World Padel Championships for national teams are due to start on 2 November, and it is not yet known whether Galán will be fit to play for Spain. Kuwait was also a happy place for the pair: they won the FIP World Cup Pairs title there last year.

What it means at the top

Galán and Chingotto have a 70-13 record together in 2026 and have spent the season chasing Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia at the top of the rankings. Their last match was the semi-final of the Milano P1 on 17 October, which they lost 6-0 2-6 2-6 to Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger after winning the first set.

Tennis Tonic wrote that missing Kuwait effectively ends Galán and Chingotto's hopes of finishing the year as No. 1, which would leave Coello and Tapia on top for a fourth consecutive season. Padel Magazine noted that the year-end order was already largely settled before the withdrawal.

Who benefits in the draw

Coello and Tapia, the top seeds, lose their main rivals, but the route is not empty. Lebrón and Augsburger, seeded third and finalists in Milan, are in the same half and could meet them in the semi-finals. In the other half, Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz are the fourth seeds, with pairs such as Martín Di Nenno and Paquito Navarro or Jorge Nieto and Mike Yanguas also in the draw.

A lucky loser pair takes the vacant place in the draw, and the reshuffle helps two qualifiers: Thomas Leygue and Jesús Moya, who won two qualifying matches, move into the No. 2 seeds' spot and go straight into the round of 32. That is worth at least 90 ranking points rather than the 35 for a first-round defeat, Tennis Tonic noted.

Follow the tournament

The Kuwait Major runs until the final on Saturday, 31 October. The draw, results and order of play are on our Kuwait Major 2026 page, updated every 15 minutes.