Coello and Tapia withdraw from Dubai P1 on medical advice: both top pairs are now out

Coello and Tapia pull out of the Dubai P1 on medical advice, after Galan and Chingotto. Who the favourites are now, and what it means for Mexico.

On the eve of the Dubai P1 round of 32, the best pair in padel left the tournament. Coello and Tapia announced on 10 November that they will not play the Dubai P1, on the advice of their medical team. They were the defending champions and the two-time winners of the event.

The absence comes straight after the news that Galan and Chingotto had also pulled out. For the first time in a long while, neither of the two dominant pairs of the circuit will be on court at a P1.

A short statement and no diagnosis

The announcement came through the players' social media, with a joint message shared on Coello's Instagram. “Sentimos tener que comunicar que no podremos competir esta semana en UAE por indicaciones médicas de nuestro equipo”, they wrote, adding that they made the decision together, thinking about what is best for them.

What the statement does not say matters as much as what it does. It does not name an injury, it does not say which of the two players is affected, and it gives no return date. The pair only say they want to come back “en las mejores condiciones lo antes posible”.

The timing is awkward for a pair that arrived in Dubai as the world number one, with five titles in a row including the Kuwait Major, and with the aim of winning a third consecutive Hamdan title after their wins in 2024 and 2025. They had already secured the year-end top spot for a fourth straight season, so the ranking is not at risk.

What changes in the Dubai P1 draw without Coello and Tapia

A lucky loser from qualifying takes their place in the main draw. The official order of play for Wednesday 11 November lists that pair against Alex Chozas and Juan Ignacio Rubini, not before 16:00 in Spain, as the only unknown on the schedule.

The favourites move up

With the top two pairs gone, the outlets point to Lebron and Augsburger as the best-ranked pair in the bottom half. Stupaczuk and Sanz are the reference in the top half, and Di Nenno and Paquito Navarro are also named as pairs that could benefit.

A clearer road for Libaak and Alfonso

Libaak and Alfonso were due to meet Coello and Tapia in the round of 16. Their path to the quarterfinals is now much clearer, although first they must beat Leo Aguirre and Pablo Lijo on Wednesday. The same day, Lebron and Augsburger face Manu Castano and Pol Hernandez, and Stupaczuk and Sanz play Arnau Ayats and Emilio Sanchez.

What it means for the rest of the season

The calendar offers little room to recover. The Mexico Major runs from 23 to 29 November, and it is not clear whether Coello and Tapia will play it. The Barcelona Finals follow from 10 to 13 December.

Galan and Chingotto were already out of Dubai, and Galan has said he will keep playing with Chingotto in 2027 and that a return before the end of this year is uncertain, as we reported on Tuesday. Add Coello and Tapia, and the circuit's biggest names are all watching Dubai from the stands.

For the pairs still in the draw, that is an opening. For the pair that has won everything this autumn, the statement is brief, and the next one will matter more: it will say when they are back.