Paris Major R16: Seeds Arrive as Leygue Eyes History Again

All Seeds Step onto the Clay

Thursday at the Alpine Paris Major marks a decisive shift in the tournament's rhythm. After two days of qualifying and first-round action that produced French heartbreak — five of six home pairs eliminated in a single session — all top seeds in both the men's and women's draws now take to the courts of Roland-Garros for the first time. Play in the round of 16 begins at 12:00 CET, with the evening session running until late. From Friday's quarterfinals onwards, all matches move to Red Bull TV and Movistar Vamos for live coverage across the key markets.

In the men's half of the draw, Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia (seed 1) — who advanced from the R32 against Libaak/Alfonso — face Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal, the Spanish pair who came through their opening match against Mouriño/Quílez. Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto (seed 2), winners of a record seventh Madrid P1 title earlier this month, are drawn against Yanguas and Nieto. With the year-end FIP rankings tightening, both top pairs have strong motivation to go deep at the penultimate Major of 2026.

France's Last Hope: Leygue and Moya vs Stupaczuk and Sanz

The most anticipated match of Thursday's men's programme is also the latest on the schedule. Thomas Leygue and Jesús Moya — the only French pair left in the draw after Wednesday's dramatic cull — face Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz, who swept Rodrigo/Dal Bianco 6-4, 6-2 without being troubled. The clash is scheduled no earlier than 18:00 CET, giving Leygue and Moya the afternoon to recover from their gruelling 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 three-set win over Gutiérrez/Esbrí. A partisan Roland-Garros crowd will be in full voice. For Leygue, who became the talk of the tournament when he reached the R16 of a Premier Padel Major on home soil, Thursday evening is both reward and reckoning.

Also in the men's R16: Lucas Campagnolo and Momo González, who beat Cabeza/González in the R32, take on Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger — arguably the most consistent pair through the first round, having dismantled Geens/Guichard 6-0, 6-2. Stupaczuk/Sanz's upper-half of the draw also features Navarro/Di Nenno — the Argentine pair who beat Collado/Hernández in straight sets — in one of the other R16 slots.

Women's Seeds Make Their Paris Debut

The women's round of 16 carries an extra layer of intrigue because all four top seeds enter competition for the first time this week, having received first-round byes. Headlining is Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea, the defending Paris Major champions who also claimed the Madrid P1 title last Sunday, beating Bea González and Claudia Fernández in the final. Triay arrives at Roland-Garros having equalled Alejandra Salazar's all-time record of 58 Premier Padel titles — a milestone that lends every match she plays this week an extra dimension.

Third seeds Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero face Lorena Rufo and Victoria Iglesias, while fourth seeds Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo meet Verónica Virseda and Martina Fassio. Eighth seeds Alejandra Salazar and Aranza Osoro open against Bea Caldera and Carmen Goenaga, who were among the pairs to come through the R32. Quarterfinals across both draws are scheduled for Friday 11 September.