Chingotto and Galán pull out of the Kuwait Major after an injury to Ale Galán

He announced it himself. An Instagram story, on Saturday night.

Ale Galán is injured. He won't play the Kuwait Major.

And Fede Chingotto goes out with him. The second-ranked pair will miss the third Major of the year.

Galán hasn't said what the injury is. Or how long he'll be out. Only that he'll miss it, and one line: "I hope to be back on court soon."

So do we.

Back as world champions

Kuwait wasn't just another tournament for them.

Last November they won the first FIP World Cup Pairs there. In the final, against Coello and Tapia: 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.

This year they were back as the number 2 seeds. Their place in the draw will go to a pair coming through qualifying.

A year of finals

Two numbers explain what the tournament is losing.

Fourteen finals in 2026. Seven titles: Gijón, Miami, Newgiza, Asunción, Buenos Aires, Pretoria and Madrid.

Madrid was the last one, in early September. Since then: the final in Paris, the quarter-finals in Rotterdam and the semi-finals in Düsseldorf and Milan.

The year's two Majors, Italy and Paris, ended the same way. In the final. Against Coello and Tapia.

Kuwait was the third chance. It will have to wait.

The World Cup, nine days away

There's another date circled in red. From 2 to 7 November, the World Cup in Qatar.

Galán is in Spain's squad. Chingotto, in Argentina's.

Nothing more is known today.

The Kuwait main draw starts on Tuesday 27, at The Arena Kuwait. The final is on Saturday 31.

It will be the first Major of the year without Chingalán in the final.

— Luis González