Coello, Tapia and the rest of the Bordeaux P2 seeds don't play until Thursday's round of 16

The top seeds at the Betclic Bordeaux Premier Padel P2 don't pick up a racket until Thursday. Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, the world's No. 1 men's pair, sit out the opening rounds and make their debut in the round of 16 on July 2, inside the Mériadeck ice rink in Bordeaux.

Why the favourites wait

The men's main draw holds 28 pairs, so the four seeded teams get a bye while the rest of the field fights through the early rounds. That puts Coello and Tapia, second seeds Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto, third seeds Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger, and fourth seeds Mike Yanguas and Franco Stupaczuk all on court for the first time Thursday.

What's at stake

Coello and Tapia arrive in form after defending their Valladolid P2 title days ago. Galán and Chingotto, beaten in that Valladolid final, want a fast response. With the two pairs drawn into opposite halves, a rematch can only land in Sunday's final.

The court is indoors for a reason. Organisers moved the event onto a covered rink as a heatwave bakes southwest France, keeping conditions steady for the players.

How to follow

Main-draw play runs through July 5. The round of 16 is the first day the headline names appear, so Thursday is the one to circle.