Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz just did it again. At the Germany P2 in Düsseldorf on 10 October 2026, they knocked out defending champions Fede Chingotto and Alejandro Galán 7-6, 6-4 in the semifinal — the second straight tournament in which this pairing has eliminated "Chingalán." It's exactly the kind of real, current storyline that makes a racket comparison worth writing: two of the game's biggest names, same event, same stage, completely different tools in their hands.

With Dubai P1 landing on home turf 9–15 November, both of these players will be swinging in front of a UAE crowd soon. So instead of another "which pro racket should I buy" guessing game, here's a straight, honest comparison of the Adidas Metalbone Galán plays and the Siux Electra Pro Stupaczuk plays — what each is actually built to do, and which one fits your game, not theirs.

Worth sitting with that semifinal result for a second: Chingotto and Galán are the defending champions at this event, two of the most feared finishers in the men's game, and Stupaczuk and Sanz have now beaten them twice running. That's not luck. It's a genuinely different style of padel winning out — control, placement and patience over raw firepower — and it's the clearest real-world argument we've seen this season for why "buy whatever the number one pair plays" is the wrong question to ask when you're choosing a racket.

Alejandro Galán's racket: the Adidas Metalbone

Galán is a finisher. He plays close to the net, takes the ball early, and ends points with a smash or a vibora that most club players can only admire. The Adidas Metalbone line is built entirely around that job: a diamond shape with the sweet spot pushed toward the tip, and a head-heavy balance that puts extra mass exactly where contact happens.

We stock two versions in the UAE. The Adidas Ale Galán Metalbone 3.5 (1,110 AED, 350–365g) is the more forgiving entry into the diamond-power family — still a serious racket, but a touch more tolerant of a mishit. The Metalbone HRD+ 3.5 (1,240 AED, 345–360g) is the sharper tour version — 18K carbon face, EVA High Memory core, a 9.6/10 power rating and an 8.9/10 balance line — with a smaller, more concentrated sweet spot that rewards a clean, committed swing.

Honest cons: diamond, head-heavy rackets like this are unforgiving. Catch the ball near the throat or frame edge and you'll feel it immediately — in the shot, and in your arm the next day. Neither Metalbone does much for you defensively; if you're the one stuck fending off smashes on the back line, a diamond racket won't bail you out the way a rounder shape will. This is a racket for players who already get to net with intent and want more sting behind the ball when they arrive — not one that builds that game for you from scratch.

Franco Stupaczuk's racket: the Siux Electra Pro

Stupaczuk is the opposite profile — an all-court player who mixes spin, touch, and genuine power without committing to one style the way Galán does. That versatility is exactly why he and Jon Sanz have twice now managed to out-rally a pair built for finishing points fast. The Siux Electra Pro is co-developed with Stupaczuk himself, and the spec sheet backs up the eye test: a hybrid shape with even balance, 12K carbon faces over a hard EVA core, and a 3D matte sandy rough surface built to grip the ball longer through spin shots, lobs and slices alike.

In the UAE we carry Stupaczuk's actual match colourway, Shadow Red (1,080 AED, 355–375g) — Control 9.0/10, Power 8.9/10, Maneuverability 8.8/10, with Siux's ShockOut vibration-dampening system absorbing up to 60% of impact shock, which matters on hard UAE courts. If budget is tighter, the Fire Red colourway is the identical racket on spec for 900 AED — a genuine "same performance, cheaper colour" tip, not a downgrade.

Honest cons: even-balance hybrids trade top-end power for that control and comfort, on purpose. If your game is pure finishing — camping at net, ending the point in one shot — the Electra Pro will feel like it's holding something back on the smash compared with a diamond racket. It's also not the racket for someone who wants to feel every ounce of mass behind the frame; the even balance is deliberately more neutral in the hand.

Head-to-head

Which one actually fits your game?

If you're the player in your pair who ends up camping the net, finishing points before they turn into rallies, and you already have decent timing — start with the Metalbone 3.5 and only move up to the HRD+ once you're consistently connecting clean through the middle of the face. The HRD+ is the sharper tool, but it's not the first diamond racket you should ever own.

If you're the player who covers more court than your partner, relies on spin and placement rather than brute force, or you're simply someone who values arm comfort over raw pop — the Electra Pro is the better fit. It's also a smart single racket for mixed pairs or players who rotate positions, since the even balance doesn't punish you for not committing fully to one role.

There's a reason Stupaczuk and Sanz keep beating pairs built around a pure finisher: a racket (and a game) built around control and adaptability doesn't need the perfect clean strike every time to stay competitive. That's not a knock on Galán's game — it's the point of this whole comparison. Pick the tool that matches how you actually play, not the name on the box.

A couple of more specific reads: if you're the one in your pair who crowds the net and poaches every ball your partner sets up, you're closer to Galán's game — the Metalbone rewards that instinct, and you'll feel the difference the first time you close out a point with it. If you're the one who ends up covering two-thirds of the court because your partner won't come off the net, or you're the steadier player who keeps rallies alive while your partner looks for the kill shot, the Electra Pro's bigger sweet spot and even balance will forgive the stretch volleys and awkward angles that job demands. And if you play mixed doubles or swap positions depending on your partner that week, the Electra Pro is the safer single racket to own — you won't be fighting a diamond frame's shape every time you rotate sides.

UAE conditions matter here too. Indoor clubs run cooler with a livelier ball, which suits the Metalbone's power ceiling. Now that outdoor season is back in Dubai — heat, wind, a ball that dies faster — a racket like the Electra Pro that helps you construct the point rather than end it in one shot becomes the more forgiving choice, especially for long evening sessions.

Bueno's take

Neither of these rackets is objectively "better" — they're built for different jobs on the same court, same as the players who swing them. If you're not sure which side of that split you're on, come hit both before you commit over 1,000 AED. We run demo rackets through partner clubs across Dubai specifically so you're not guessing from a spec sheet, and both rackets are in stock now — see the full lineups in our Adidas collection and Siux collection.

Not sure whether you're a Galán or a Stupaczuk on court? Send us your level and how you play on WhatsApp and we'll give you a straight answer, not a sales pitch.

Play it Bueno.