Coello and Tapia vs Libaak and Alfonso: the Kuwait Major semifinal nobody expected

Coello Tapia vs Libaak Alfonso headlines the Kuwait Major semifinals: the road here, the other three semis, kick-off times and where to watch.

Coello Tapia vs Libaak Alfonso closes a four-semifinal Friday on the centre court in Kuwait, and nobody had it in the draw. The world number ones Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, top seeds at the Kuwait Major, face the 12th seeds Tino Libaak and Gonza Alfonso, who have already sent out Juan Lebron and Leo Augsburger, then Paquito Navarro and Martin Di Nenno.

The match is scheduled not before 20:00 in Kuwait, 18:00 in Spain. On Padelpedia's ranking the Argentines are 35th and 30th, so few pairs have walked into a semifinal with so little to lose. The International Padel Federation called this the craziest Major of 2026, the one with the most surprises.

Coello and Tapia: efficient, so far

The top seeds have not been pushed. They beat Enrique Goenaga and Guille Collado 6-2 and 6-1 in 50 minutes in the round of 16, then Jairo Bautista and Lucas Bergamini 6-1 and 6-4 in the quarterfinals. They arrive from the title in Milan on 19 October, the one that closed the European swing.

Libaak and Alfonso: two big names in two days

The Argentines won a three-set round of 16 against Lebron and Augsburger, 4-6, 7-5 and 6-1, and then took the quarterfinal against Paquito and Di Nenno 7-6 and 6-1. Alfonso said afterwards that many people wanted to see him and his partner lose. Libaak, 21, said Di Nenno is the player he looks up to, and that the biggest sacrifice of the circuit is being far from his family.

The other men's semifinal

Edu Alonso and Aimar Goñi, seeded 11th, play Juan Tello and Maxi Arce, seeded ninth, not before 14:00 in Spain. Alonso and Goñi beat Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz 6-1 and 6-2 in 54 minutes, in a draw where Ale Galan and Fede Chingotto are absent. The win guarantees them at least 720 FIP points and keeps alive their hopes of reaching the Barcelona Finals.

Tello and Arce reached the semifinal by beating Marc Sintes and Coquito Zamora 6-4 and 6-2, the young pair that had already beaten Momo Gonzalez and Lucas Campagnolo earlier in the week.

The women's semifinals

All four top seeds reached the semifinals, and two of them barely conceded a game.

Triay and Brea vs Fernandez and Calvo

Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea, the top seeds, conceded one game in their quarterfinal, 6-1 and 6-0. Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo, seeded fourth, won 6-1 and 6-0 in 57 minutes. Brea said she hopes they finish the season as world number ones. They play not before 16:00 in Spain.

Sanchez and Ustero vs Josemaria and Gonzalez

This one opens the day at 12:00 in Spain. Ari Sanchez and Andrea Ustero needed 2 hours and 53 minutes to beat Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen 3-6, 6-4 and 7-5. Paula Josemaria and Bea Gonzalez needed 1 hour 29 minutes against Lorena Rufo and Victoria Iglesias, 6-2 and 6-4. PadelPedia counts eight meetings this season, four wins each. Sanchez and Ustero won the last two, both finals: 6-4 and 6-4 in Rotterdam and 7-6 and 6-3 in Milan.

Time and where to watch

All four matches are on the centre court. In France time the order is 12:00 (Sanchez and Ustero vs Josemaria and Gonzalez), not before 14:00 (Alonso and Goñi vs Tello and Arce), not before 16:00 (Triay and Brea vs Fernandez and Calvo) and not before 18:00 (Coello and Tapia vs Libaak and Alfonso). Add two hours for Kuwait. Canal+ Sport 360 broadcasts in France from 12:00. Check Premier Padel for your country's broadcaster.

The last match of the day is the one that will decide how the weekend is remembered: the world number ones, who have not been seriously tested here, against a pair that has already beaten two of the biggest names in the draw. Something has to give.