Premier Padel P1 Riyadh 2026: A promising start to the season!

A month ago, the eyes of the padel world were on Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Season Padel P1. This opening tournament of the 2026 season lived up to all its promises: spectacle, surprises and confirmation of the level of the circuit's top players.

If you missed the finals or would like to relive the key moments, here is our analysis of this first major event of the year.

The favourites' triumph: Coello and Tapia lay down the law

In the men's draw, the question was on everyone's lips: who can dethrone the world number ones? Unfortunately, unsurprisingly, the pair of Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia dominated the competition.

In a high-intensity final, they showed impressive mental strength and firepower. What stands out about this pair is their ability to reduce their opponents' reaction time. A final played in just 1h05 against the number 2 pair Chingotto/Galan.

One key statistic emerges from this tournament: dominance at the net with more than 70% of points won during attacking phases.

Women's draw: Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaría, queens of Riyadh

In the women's draw, the hierarchy was respected, but not without a fight. Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaría confirmed their status as queens of the circuit.

Their complementarity between Ari's surgical precision and Paula's explosiveness worked wonders on the fast courts of Riyadh. This tournament also showed the emergence of promising new pairs that could shake up the top of the rankings throughout the 2026 season.

Tactical analysis: Ultra-fast playing conditions

Why did smashes "fly out" so much in Riyadh? The climatic conditions and the city's altitude played a major role:

1. Ball speed: The dry, hot air made the ball extremely lively, favouring powerful players.

2. Equipment choices: Many players opted for harder foams to retain control despite the speed of play.

3. The importance of the lob: With such a fast ball, the pinpoint lob was the only effective weapon for dislodging net attackers.

The tournament's surprises and disappointments

Not everything went as planned for some seeded players.

• Several pairs from the qualifiers managed to reach the quarter-finals, proving that the overall level of Premier Padel is getting tighter month by month.

• French player Léa Godallier and her Italian teammate Giorgia Marchetti also shone by reaching the round of 16!

The tournament in Riyadh was only the prelude to what promises to be an epic year. It laid the foundations for the battle for the world throne:

• Equipment is evolving: Brands took advantage of Riyadh to launch their new models (such as the Wilson Endure range by Momo Gonzalez), proving that technical innovation lies at the heart of performance.

• Fitness makes the difference: In such a packed calendar, recovery and athletic preparation have become just as important as pure technique.