Key Takeaways
- After the Doha tournament was postponed, the event in Kuwait was elevated from P1 to Major level. Its main draw will be held at the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait from October 26 to 31.
- The men’s draw is led by top seeds Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, with Ale Galan and Federico Chingotto seeded second. Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea occupy the leading spot in the women’s field.
- Established in partnership with Tamdeen Group in February 2020, the venue has already hosted the 2024 Kuwait P1 and the 2025 FIP World Cup Pairs.
Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait welcomes back elite padel for top-tier event
Qualifying for the Kuwait Major began on Friday, before the main draw takes place from October 26 to 31. Hosted by the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait, the tournament is part of Premier Padel’s top category and is organized under the authority of the International Padel Federation (FIP).
The postponement of the event originally scheduled for Doha, Qatar, led to the Kuwait tournament being promoted from P1 classification to Major status. The same venue staged the Kuwait P1 in 2024 and the FIP-promoted 2025 FIP World Cup Pairs, the world championship for pairs.
Leading seeds set the pace across both draws
Reigning FIP World Cup Pairs champions Ale Galan and Federico Chingotto return to the Kuwait venue as the second seeds, having won the competition there in 2025. Ahead of them in the men’s draw are world number one duo Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, who take the top-seeded position.
Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea hold the number one seeding in the women’s competition. The rest of the top four features second seeds Paula Josemaria and Bea Gonzalez, third seeds Ariana Sanchez and Andrea Ustero, and fourth seeds Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo.
Tournament’s importance reflects academy’s development
Reflecting on the venue’s development, the Rafa Nadal Academy said: “The arrival of the Major represents a new recognition of the organizational capacity of a sports complex that has established itself as one of the great padel benchmarks in the Middle East.”
According to the announcement, “since its opening in February 2020, the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait has experienced constant growth, becoming the stage for major international sports events.”
Former tennis player Rafa Nadal and Tamdeen Group opened the academy six years ago with the aim to “transfer to the Middle East the training methodology and values of the original Manacor project.” Tennis and padel programs are offered by the center to children, young people, and adults, “combining sports development with a philosophy based on effort, discipline and personal improvement.”
Closing its statement, the academy said: “With the arrival of the Kuwait Major, the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait reaffirms its commitment to the growth of padel and continues to consolidate its prominence on the international sports scene, contributing to extending the methodology and values of Rafa Nadal throughout the world.”
