Ever since Alejandro Galán and Juan Lebrón were drawn into the same half of the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel bracket, anticipation for a possible semifinal grew. Both players delivered, setting up another showdown at the Foro Italico. Last year, El Lobo partnered with Franco Stupaczuk while Galán was already alongside Federico Chingotto. Now, the two men who won the inaugural Rome Major together in 2022 will meet again as rivals.
Different paths to the semifinal
Galán and Chingotto advanced with authority, defeating Pol Hernández and Guille Collado 6‑3, 6‑1. Lebrón and Leo Augsburger, however, had to fight harder, closing out a 6‑4, 7‑6 victory against Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz in the final match of the day on Pietrangeli Court.
Breaking the duopoly
For more than two years, padel has been dominated by Galán–Chingotto and Coello–Tapia, who together have collected seven titles in 2026. Only Lebrón and Augsburger, winners in Brussels, have managed to interrupt this dominance. “When we won in Brussels, expectations increased,” said Lebrón. “With every tournament we become more consistent. We know exactly what we need to do, and that is to keep working to win.”
Galán’s consistency
The No. 2 seeds lead the Race with five titles from eight tournaments this season. Galán emphasized the same principle of hard work, which has kept him ahead in the rivalry. The head‑to‑head now stands at 11‑2 in Galán’s favor since the end of their partnership, with only two defeats against his former teammate.
The next chapter
The first of those losses came in Genoa two years ago. Now, at the Foro Italico, another chapter will be written. “It will be a very intense battle,” assured El Lobo. “It’s the match everyone wants to see.”
