Key Takeaways
- An undisclosed injury forced Alejandro Galán to officially pull out of the Kuwait Major after he contested 3 tournaments in as many weeks.
- Galán and Federico Chingotto have exited at the semi-final stage in Rotterdam, Düsseldorf, and Milan since surrendering a 5-3 deciding-set advantage against Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello in the Paris Major final.
- With Tapia and Coello leading the FIP Race by 2,840 points, doubts surround Galán’s fitness for the World Championship, which will be held in Doha from November 2 to November 7.
Grueling run follows Paris Major disappointment
Questions over the physical and psychological strain on world number 2 pairing Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto have intensified following their withdrawal from the Kuwait Major. Galán’s official reason for pulling out was an injury, but no details have been released about its nature, seriousness, or likely recovery period. The problem compounds what has already been a difficult end-of-season run.
The difficult spell began with the Paris Major final against Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello on September 13. After losing the first set 6-3, Galán and Chingotto responded by taking the second 6-4 and then moved 5-2 ahead in the decider. They served for the title at 5-3, only for the world number 1 pair to fight back and force a tiebreak. Tapia and Coello won it 7-1, completing a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 victory.
A trio of tournaments ends with three semi-final defeats
Three straight Premier Padel tournaments in the space of three weeks followed the narrow Roland-Garros defeat for Galán and Chingotto. Instead of making their usual regular trips to finals, they fell short at each event.
| Tournament | Round | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam | Semi-finals | Franco Stupaczuk / Jon Sanz | Defeat |
| Düsseldorf | Semi-finals | Franco Stupaczuk / Jon Sanz | 6-7, 4-6 |
| Milan P1 | Semi-finals | Juan Lebrón / Leo Augsburger | 6-0, 2-6, 2-6 |
The newly established team of Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz defeated the world number 2 seeds in both Rotterdam and Düsseldorf. Galán and Chingotto then suffered another semi-final loss at the Milan P1, where they opened with a dominant 6-0 set against Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger before conceding the next two sets 6-2, 6-2.
World Championship nears with rankings deficit increasing
Their bid for the number 1 ranking has taken a major blow following the Milan loss and subsequent Kuwait Major withdrawal. An 18-match unbeaten run and 4 titles in succession helped Tapia and Coello open a 2,840-point advantage in the FIP Race after Milan. As the Kuwait champions will receive 2,000 points, the gap separating the leading two teams is set to widen further.
Galán’s fitness is also a concern for Spain’s national team, beyond its impact on the tour standings. His withdrawal from Kuwait leaves little time to recover before the World Championship in Doha, scheduled for November 2 to November 7. If his condition allows him to compete, the event will provide the Spaniard with a different sporting objective as Spain seeks to challenge reigning champions Argentina.
Milan result, ranking, and record for Galan and Chingotto
Together, Galan and Chingotto own a 70-13 win-loss record in 2026. Their most recent appearance came on the 17th of October, when they lost the semifinal 6-0 2-6 2-6 to Augsburger (world no.6) and Lebron (world no.5).
