Federico Chingotto has a remarkable yet frustrating relationship with the Paris Major. A finalist in the first four editions held at Roland-Garros, the Argentinian has nevertheless never lifted the trophy. In 2026, he returns with Ale Galán, who has won seven titles this season, and a major opportunity to close the gap even further on Coello-Tapia in the Race. 

Three partners, four finals, and always the same outcome.

Since the arrival of Premier Padel At Roland-Garros in 2022, all the men's finals had one thing in common: the presence of Federico Chingotto. An exceptional consistency, achieved with three different partners, but which has yet to translate into a title.

In 2022, partnered with Juan Tello, Chingotto played his closest Paris final. Facing Juan Lebrón and Ale Galán, the Argentinian pair managed to push the then world number ones to a third set before ultimately losing.  6/3 4/6 6/4 .

The following year, with Paquito Navarro, Chingotto reached the final again after eliminating Lebrón-Galán in the semi-finals. This time, the first set was decided by a tie-break, before Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia clearly took control.  7 / 6 6 / 1 .

Then came his partnership with Galán. In 2024, the two players logically reached the final, but suffered their most crushing defeat at Roland-Garros:  6 / 2 6 / 1  against Coello–Tapia. The scenario repeated itself in 2025, with another victory for the number ones,  6 / 1 6 / 4 .

The results are surprising:  Four finals played, three different partners, and only one set won out of nine. .

Coello and Tapia transformed Paris into a fortress

The statistics might give the impression that Chingotto is experiencing particular difficulties at Roland-Garros. The reality is almost the opposite. Reaching four consecutive finals with three different sporting projects demonstrates an adaptability and consistency rarely seen on the circuit.

His Parisian problem only begins in the last match.

After Lebrón–Galán in 2022, Chingotto faced Coello–Tapia three years in a row. The number ones gradually transformed Philippe-Chatrier into conquered territory, winning the 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions.

The contrast with Galán is particularly striking. The Madrid native won the inaugural edition alongside Lebrón, against Chingotto. Since teaming up, Galán and the Argentinian have played in the next two finals together, without managing to defeat Coello and Tapia.

Paris is therefore not really a tournament that Galán–Chingotto can resist. They are only missing the final hurdle, but that has so far been occupied by the most dominant pair of recent seasons.

A different context in 2026

This fifth attempt, however, comes in a more favorable situation. Galán and Chingotto arrive at Roland-Garros after winning the Madrid P1, their  seventh title of the season They especially benefited from Coello-Tapia's elimination in the quarter-finals to reduce their deficit to just  470 points in the Race .

Another trend has also accompanied their season: in 2026, Galán and Chingotto won every tournament in which the number one seeds did not reach the final. Their ability to exploit the slightest opening in the draw has become one of their main strengths.

The question now is whether they can go further and win Paris even with Coello-Tapia present on Sunday. Chingotto's last three defeats at Roland-Garros all bear the hallmarks of the same opponents. To end this streak, he may therefore have to overcome those who have built their own Parisian reign on his losses.

A curse or proof of regularity?

To speak of a "curse" would probably be an exaggeration. Chingotto hasn't consistently played poorly in Paris and has never exited the tournament prematurely. On the contrary, he is the only common denominator in the first four men's finals.

But this consistency makes the lack of a title even more noticeable. As the finals pile up, Roland-Garros becomes one of the few major tournaments where its exceptionally high level of play has not yet yielded a reward.

In 2026, the stakes go beyond simply adding another trophy to his collection. A victory would allow him to erase four lost finals, confirm the momentum gained in Madrid, and completely reignite the fight for the world number one ranking.

After Tello, Navarro, and now Galán, Chingotto returns to Paris for the fifth time with the same ambition. He knows perfectly well the path that leads to the final Sunday. He still has to discover the one that will take him home with the trophy.

Antoine Tricolet

I discovered the Padel I stumbled into Spain at a campsite. I was instantly hooked; passionate about padel, I follow international and regional news with the same excitement as the sport itself.

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