Premier Padel's first-ever event on African soil ended the only way a debut like this deserved: both finals in Pretoria went to a deciding-set tiebreak on Sunday 2 August, and in both of them the eventual champions were one point from losing. If you called either result before the weekend, you're lying.

Men's final: Galán & Chingotto save a championship point

Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto beat Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 — and the scoreline undersells it. In the deciding tiebreak, Leal and Guerrero held a championship point at 7-6. Chingotto and Galán won the next three rallies to take the title. That's the whole match in three points: when the trophy was on the line, the experienced pair kept the ball in the court and the debutants blinked first.

It's "Chingalán's" sixth title of 2026 but their first since Buenos Aires in May — a drought by their standards, and Galán admitted afterwards it wasn't his best week: "I have to thank Fede for carrying me to this victory." Honest, and probably accurate. Chingotto's lob-and-reset game is built for weeks when his partner's timing is off.

The bigger story might be the pair that lost. Leal and Guerrero — childhood friends playing their first Premier Padel final — took out Lebrón/Augsburger and then beat Coello and Tapia 7-5, 7-5 in the semis, ending the world #1s' run of 27 consecutive finals. Pretoria's altitude (the ball flies noticeably quicker up there) rewarded their flat, aggressive hitting all week. Leal left the court in tears. He'll be back in one of these finals soon enough.

Women's final: the #1s survive an 18-year-old's title serve

Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea beat Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 after 2 hours 53 minutes — the longest final of the weekend and, for two sets and a half, the more dangerous one for the favourites.

Context makes this remarkable: Fernández (20) and Calvo (18) were playing their first tournament together. They beat Bea González and Paula Josemaría 6-1, 6-4 in the semis, then went a break up in the third set of the final and served for the title. Calvo was two points from becoming the youngest Premier Padel champion in history — the record still belongs to Andrea Ustero (Bordeaux 2025). Triay and Brea broke back and took the tiebreak 7-4.

For the world #1s it's a fifth title of the season, a second in a row after Málaga, and a third straight final. Brea put it plainly: "We won because of our mental strength. We stayed focused on the present, even in the toughest moments." That's the honest read — Fernández/Calvo were faster and freer; the #1s were calmer at 5-5 in the third. That difference is trainable, and it's why this new pair is now the one everyone will watch.

What it means for the season

In our Málaga recap we said to watch whether Galán/Chingotto entered Pretoria to pressure the #1s' lead. They did, they won, and Coello/Tapia dropped semi-final points for the first time all year. The tour moves straight to the London P1 (main draw from 4 August) — the last P1 before Madrid and the Paris Major, so form there usually carries. And the autumn still builds to the Gulf swing: Kuwait, then the Dubai P1 on 9–15 November, where UAE players get to see all four of Sunday's finalist pairs live.

Gear note from the finals

Three of Sunday's four winning players swing rackets we stock. Galán's signature is the adidas Ale Galán Metalbone 3.5; Chingotto has spent his career on Bullpadel's Vertex platform — the current version is the Vertex 05; and Brea plays adidas' Cross It line, stocked as the Cross It Control 3.5. The beaten semi-finalists' frames are here too: Tapia's NOX AT10 Genius 18K and Coello's Metalbone HRD.

The usual straight talk applies: these are pro-level constructions from our advanced range. If you're an intermediate player, the tech that lets Galán save championship points will mostly punish your mishits. Browse the adidas 2026 and Bullpadel 2026 collections, or message us on WhatsApp and tell us your level honestly — we'll tell you honestly whether the pro frame fits your game or whether there's a friendlier version of the same racket.

Results verified via FIP and Premier Padel coverage. Play it Bueno.