Coello and Tapia claim their first Tour Finals title in a padel masterpiece against Chingalán

The 2025 season could not have ended in a more fitting way. World No.1s Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello and the No.2 pair, Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto, faced each other in their 14th final of the season, bringing the curtain down on a year defined by unforgettable battles. Adding to the occasion, a sold-out Palau Sant Jordi welcomed more than 15,200 fans. The stage was set, and the players delivered, producing one of the finest matches of their rivalry in their 29th head-to-head meeting.

It was the pair coached by Gustavo Pratto who struck first, but Chingalán responded swiftly. An ultra-balanced opening set had only one possible outcome: a tie-break. There, Alejandro Galán rose to the occasion, finishing the first set with an astonishing 22 winners, nine more than the next best player in that category, Coello. His performance was decisive in tipping the opening set in favour of the team led by Jorge Martínez.

Arturo Coello answered Galán’s display with defiance in the second set, posting an outstanding 9 winners from 10 smash attempts. The world No.1s reacted with increasing authority. First they knocked on the door, then they battered it down. The breakthrough finally came on their ninth break-point opportunity, after Galán and Chingotto had saved two consecutive 0-40 situations.

A match and a season of this calibre deserved a third set, and that is exactly what the crowd was given. Coello and Tapia secured the first break in the third game and managed to protect their advantage despite facing numerous break points. They reached 5-4 with the chance to serve for the title, but Chingotto and Galán refused to surrender, producing a timely break to extend the contest at its most dramatic moment. With no further swings, the final was decided in a third-set tie-break, with the fate of the Tour Finals hanging on a handful of points.

The decisive moment of the match, and of the tournament, had a name. Agustín Tapia. With four winners in the tie-break, the “Mozart from Catamarca” sealed victory and delivered the first Tour Finals title to the world No.1 pair (6-7, 6-3, 7-6).

True to their DNA and to the spirit they showed throughout the season, Chingalán pushed their opponents to the absolute limit. They saved four match points, but this time it was not enough to overcome Tapia and Coello. Galán finished as the top winner of the match with 48, and the battle lasted two hours and 53 minutes, yet the outcome remained unchanged. In one of the most evenly matched finals in recent memory, the title ultimately went to the world No.1s, decided on points.