Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger will be in the semifinals of the 2026 Paris Major. The third seed defeated Jerónimo González and Lucas Campagnolo (8th seed) in two sets, 6-3, 7-6, to continue his run at Roland-Garros. In his post-match press conference, Lebrón spoke about the challenging weeks he has just experienced, his high standards for himself, and his special relationship with Agustín Silingo. Augsburger, for his part, shared some very insightful thoughts about his partner. 

The rest will be of a completely different caliber:  Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia  Lebrón / Augsburger are now awaiting the semi-final.

Lebrón on his last few weeks: "There have been bad times and good times"

The day before, a conversation was overheard on the bench with  Agustin Silingo  had hinted that Juan Lebrón was going through a more difficult period. When questioned about it, the Spaniard did not dodge the question.

 Juan, you hinted that the last few weeks haven't been easy. What did you mean by that? 

 Juan Lebrón:  "Like everything in life, I think there are bad times and good times. I am obviously very demanding of myself. You know that I always want the best from myself, the best from my partner, and the best from the people around me."

It's a personal requirement. I always want to play incredibly well, but sometimes that's not the case.  You also have to know how to play badly and still win.  That's what we managed to do yesterday.

My partner supported me every step of the way, and that's also how we managed to become a team. I'm very happy with the tournament we're having, and especially with Leo. I can see he's following the path we're trying to build with him, and I think he's definitely succeeding.

Roland-Garros or Wimbledon? Lebrón chooses… Wimbledon

The press conference also provided a lighter moment. Having attended Wimbledon this year as a spectator, Lebrón had to choose between the two tennis temples to host padel.

His first response was immediate:  "Wimbledon." 

But the former world number 1 was quick to emphasize his attachment to the Paris tournament.

 Juan Lebrón:  “We are delighted here. It’s a bit like the tournament of tournaments, the one everyone wants to play in. Everything has to be perfect.”

We are very happy to be at Roland-Garros. Since my first visit here in 2022, we have seen tremendous growth at Roland-Garros and in France.

Lebrón / Augsburger: Regular customers, but not satisfied.

Since the beginning of their partnership,  Lebrón and Augsburger have regularly featured in the later rounds . A consistency that Lebrón appreciates, without wanting to be satisfied with it.

 After several months together, where do you see your relationship today? 

 Juan Lebrón:  “We have to be realistic. We are a pair that very often reaches the semi-finals. We have had a few setbacks, but we are quite consistent this season.”

Obviously, we don't want to stop there.  We want more. 

I know that much more is expected of us. We try to always be there. There's also a huge amount of work behind the scenes with Agustín and Juanma.

One of the areas where we needed to improve the most was our defense, as well as our ability to execute transitions smoothly. Today, we played a very demanding match in these areas and we managed to handle it well against a very strong pairing.

And when he talks about the potential of his Argentinian partner, Lebrón is particularly complimentary.

 Juan Lebrón:  "Leo still has enormous potential. I think he'll reach his ceiling in one, two, or even three years. He still has a lot of room to grow."

He's progressing enormously, especially psychologically. I think he's a natural in that area. And only a few players have that.

Augsburger: "We both carry the team"

When asked if he sometimes feels he has to wear the pair when Lebrón is going through a tougher time,  Leo Augsburger categorically rejects this interpretation .

 Leo, do you sometimes feel like you have to pull the team through difficult times? 

 Leo Augsburger:  "Neither he nor I are the ones leading the team. It's part of a collective effort and  we both pull .

Juan may have said that I played the game yesterday, but I completely disagree with him. We both played it, as a team. Neither of us played more or less than the other.

We know what we can achieve when we both play our best padel and we're together.

"When Juan Lebrón enjoys himself, he becomes a great danger."

Augsburger then went further in his analysis of his partner. According to the Argentinian, Lebrón's immense facility can sometimes paradoxically become a difficulty.

 Leo Augsburger:  "For him, having this ease in playing padel can sometimes work against him. He can do things that are difficult for a normal player, and I include myself among those players."

When Juan is feeling nervous, Agustín is the one who's best at calming him down. So I know I have to give him that space so Agustín can talk to him and soothe him.

Corn (Mais)  When Juan Lebrón is having fun on the track, he represents a great danger to all the pairs.  »

A phrase that inevitably takes on a particular dimension before being found  Coello and Tapia  in the semifinals.

Lebrón very emotional when talking about Agustín Silingo

When asked about the work done by  Agustin Silingo , Lebrón delivered one of the most personal passages of his press conference.

 What does Agustín Silingo bring you today? 

 Juan Lebrón:  “For me, Agus is an incredible person. I am 100% with him on a daily basis and, on a personal level, we are very connected.”

We both have very strong personalities, but I think we know how to manage them. A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with him and I opened up a lot. We were able to express what we were feeling.

For me, it's very important. For the whole team, obviously, but personally…  I get very emotional when I talk about him because he is more important to me than he realizes. 

It's a pleasure to work with him. Even when we disagree in training, we always manage to find common ground. I'm grateful to have him with me and I would always want him on my team.

"You have to know how to be humble and work hard."

Lebrón finally returned to this central idea:  winning without necessarily playing your best padel .

For him, the Parisian week perfectly illustrates this ability to survive less good days before finding better sensations.

 Juan Lebrón:  “Obviously, when you win while playing badly, it’s positive because you won, even if you always want to play better. But sometimes you play well and your opponents still push you to the limit.”

Yesterday, we lost a set against two very good players. Today, against a great pair, we managed to win in two sets.

We must focus on the positive aspects of our tournament:  our attitude and today the fact that we also played very well.

If we can combine these two things—a good attitude and a good level of play—that will be important. We can't play perfectly every day.  You also need to know how to be humble and work hard.  »

Augsburger on Lebrón: "I've heard a lot of people speak ill of him."

Leo Augsburger's latest response is probably one of the strongest of the conference.

When asked about a quality of Lebrón that the public may not know, the Argentinian first joked before painting a very personal portrait of his partner.

 Leo Augsburger:  "He is very talented. This boy was born with an incredible gift. He is an incredible person and an incredible player. He comes from a very good family."

I've heard a lot of things and a lot of people speak ill of him. But I think that  What he carries on his shoulders represents an enormous weight that not everyone would be able to bear. 

It is not for nothing that many people idolize him or that he can be considered a legend of this sport.

I'm enjoying it immensely and I'll continue to enjoy it as long as he wants to play with me, until he gets tired of it.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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