Agu and Arturo, the kings of Rome: “The bar is higher now, but we have big goals”

Pure joy in front of more than 9,000 spectators on Centre Court, nearly three months after their last title. It was an unforgettable evening for Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, once again champions of the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel thanks to a 7-5 7-6 victory over Ale Galan and Fede Chingotto, three years after their first triumph in Rome. “I never doubted our partnership”, Coello explained after the match. “The level has become incredibly high and we are competing against so many champions, but we keep growing all the time. It has been a very intense week, full of hard work, thinking about matches and also spending time talking with my psychologist. This victory is hugely important, but I don’t want to dwell on it too much. Ale and Fede are playing at an exceptional level and we know we will continue facing them again and again”.

The awareness and maturity that Coello has developed over the years became evident when he compared this title to the one he won in Rome in 2023. “We have changed enormously since then. I remember eating carbonara every day and going out every night with friends, and paradoxically everything felt easier. Now the challenges are greater, we are more mature and we have at least two rivals who make life very difficult for us. But that is actually a good thing because it allows us to explore our limits and improve, always knowing what we need to do”. At the end of the match, Arturo also had a thought for his racket. “I started using it at the beginning of the tournament and it became a reflection of how I felt. I wanted to give my absolute best and I wanted Agu to know that I was there for him. The racket represented all of that. I said that if I kept playing with this one, I would win the title, and that’s exactly what happened”.

He then thanked Tapia. “He never gets frustrated, not even when I make mistakes”, Coello continued. The appreciation was immediately returned by the Argentine. “Arturo is always a ten out of ten. He is always there, and today I wanted to show him that I was there too, that he could rely on me. In the key moments of the match, when we found ourselves under pressure, we looked each other in the eye and kept moving forward”. More generally, Tapia added, “we are living through very special moments. Matches like these are incredibly important. A thousand thoughts run through your mind and we had to use our heads to stay calm”. Then, even amid the celebrations for their Major title, attention quickly shifted to the future and to the secret of staying focused. “It’s about having goals, that’s fundamental. We are on the right path, the season is still long and we have big long-term ambitions. At the same time, we must always appreciate the privilege of playing tournaments at this level and travelling around the world”.