The Best Padel Players in History
Since the 1990s, padel has professionalized in successive waves, each era shaped by a pair who left their mark on the sport. Here's the story of the tour told through those dynasties, up to the rivalry that defines 2026.
The 1990s: the pioneers
The first structured tournaments appear in Argentina and Spain, padel's two historic home countries. Javier Maquirriain, an Argentine player and trained doctor, is among the very first to reach the top of the world ranking; he remained a respected figure in the sport until his death in 2020. Alongside him, Hernán Auguste, nicknamed "Bebe" (a nickname from his junior tennis days, after he was teased for crying when he first started losing to older players), establishes himself as one of the sport's first world number ones, a two-time global number one who later spent years as the World Padel Tour's director of expansion. Together, they lay the foundations the professional tour is built on.
The 2000s: the Belasteguin-Díaz dynasty
In 2005, the Padel Pro Tour formalizes the first regular professional calendar. Fernando Belasteguin, an Argentine born in 1979 and nicknamed "Bela", dominates the world ranking for sixteen consecutive years, from 2002 to 2018, a record never approached since. Alongside him, Juan Martín Díaz, born in Mar del Plata in 1975 and nicknamed "El Galleguito" after his Galician father, brings the creativity and reflexes that complement Bela's consistency. The pair wins 170 tournaments together, including 22 in a row between 2005 and 2007, a record that remains the sport's absolute benchmark.
The 2010s: the World Padel Tour expansion
In 2013, the World Padel Tour replaces the Padel Pro Tour and professionalizes the circuit further, with media coverage rising sharply. Maxi Sánchez, an Argentine nicknamed "Tiburón" (Shark), and Sanyo Gutiérrez, nicknamed "El Mago de San Luis" (the Magician from San Luis) for his precision, dominate much of the decade after Belasteguin's reign. Toward the end of the 2010s, Juan Lebrón becomes the first Spaniard to reach world number one, alongside Alejandro Galán, paving the way for the current generation.
The 2020s: Coello-Tapia, the new dynasty
Arturo Coello, a Spaniard born March 8, 2002 in Mojados, Valladolid, and nicknamed "El Rey" (sometimes "El Rey Arturo") for his dominance on court, and Agustín Tapia, an Argentine born July 24, 1999 in San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca and nicknamed "El Mozart de Catamarca" for the fluidity of his game, become world number one in 2024 with a win at the Doha Major. As of early August 2026, they're still on top, tied on points with their closest rival in the FIP ranking, after dominating the 2024 and 2025 seasons with 14 and 13 Premier Padel titles respectively.
2026: the Chingalán rivalry
Since 2024, Alejandro Galán has formed a new pair with Argentine Federico Chingotto, nicknamed "El Súper Ratón" (Super Mouse, after the classic cartoon, a nod to his relentless defense despite his smaller frame), born in Olavarría in 1997, who came through a modest upbringing before breaking through on the European circuit. The "Chingalán" pair has established itself as Coello-Tapia's most serious rival, winning seven titles in 2025 and becoming the only pair able to regularly beat the world number ones in 2026. Their rivalry with Coello-Tapia is now considered the biggest on tour since Belasteguin-Díaz.
The story of professional padel is one of continuous growth, each generation pushing the sport's physical and technical level a little further. To keep up with the other names shaping the tour today, see our guide to the best padel players in 2026.
