Coello and Tapia Pick Their Mixed Partners, and Nobody Saw It Coming

At the Media Day ahead of the Comunidad de Madrid P1, world number ones Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia were asked a question that is becoming harder to ignore: if mixed padel were on the table, which player would they choose as their partner? Their answers raised a few eyebrows in the room.

Neither went for the obvious or the politically safe choice. The picks felt genuine, which is exactly what makes them interesting. Questions like this, thrown out in a relaxed media setting, tend to cut through the PR polish and reveal how players actually think about compatibility, court positioning, and playing style.

Mixed padel is still a hypothetical at the top level, but the conversation keeps gaining momentum. Fans want it, broadcast platforms are curious, and moments like this one suggest the players themselves are not indifferent to the idea. When the two best men's players in the world start naming specific women's partners unprompted, it signals something.

From a tactical standpoint, mixed doubles would demand a complete rethink of court coverage, pace management, and shot selection. The dynamic between left-side and right-side roles would shift depending on which gender plays which position, making partner chemistry even more critical than in the standard format. Coello and Tapia's instinct to name players who complement their style, rather than just the biggest names, shows they have thought about it more than casually.

For the full story and the actual names they chose, Tata Echegaray at Padel Addict has the breakdown. Worth a read if you want the detail behind the headline.