Spanish native Puerto de Santa María, a Andalusia, Javi leal, currently ranked 30th in the world, was the channel's guest ENERGY Padel, next to Felipe, to discuss a wide range of topics, including his personal and professional life. He discussed his beginnings in padel, dealing with criticism on social media, and his new work ethic within a structured team.

his beginnings

Javi leal started playing padel at a very young age, a sport already rooted in his family:

“I started at 7 years old because my father played.”

Very quickly, padel became a real goal for him, to the point of devoting his whole life to it:

“Around 13 years old. I started training with Mauri, then with Fran (The brother of Chiqui), and at 17, I moved to Madrid. "

It was at the age of 19 that he took his first steps on the professional circuit, at the time the World Padel Tour, before its evolution into Premier Padel :

“I started on the circuit World Padel Tour at 19 years old, in 2019 at Jaén, with Jairus Baptist […] it was a source of pride. My dream was to play on this circuit.”

His best memory from this time:

“A FIP tournament in Jaén, where I played with Chiqui salary. John MartinBut the most remarkable thing was when we beat one of the top 8 pairs for the first time: Silingo (my trainer today) and Mati Díaz. "

Social networks and criticism

The overexposure that comes with being a professional athlete can be difficult to manage, especially in a highly connected age where performances are constantly under scrutiny. At just 21 years old, Javi leal has been confronted with the harmful effects of social networks:

“Yes, many people don't know what we're going through. They're easy critics. It hurt me several times. I even thought about going off social media. We're only human, and it hurts.”

He even questioned the continuation of his career in padel:

“I considered it. I never went so far as to say, 'I'm officially quitting,' but yes, several times I told people around me, 'I can't take it anymore.'”

A feeling of unease fueled by negative comments, but one he is actively working on today:

“The criticism on social media used to exhaust me, and the comments hurt me. But now I'm working hard on that. I'm trying to stop giving social media any importance and stay focused on the tournaments.”

He was able to benefit from the experience of his former teammate Lucas Campagnolo :

"Camp often told me that too: we receive a lot of positive comments, but it's always the negative ones that remain. […] Campa always responded politely. And often, the person would then say: 'Thank you for responding to me, I didn't expect that.' And Campa would tell them: 'If you want me to respond to you, speak to me normally, but don't criticize me so that I have to defend myself.'”

A difficult balance to find, because athletes want to remain accessible:

“I like people to approach me, I'm open. It's our job to be close to the public. […] Because, yes, we also live thanks to these people. They're the ones who support us. But I'm also not going to accept someone disrespecting me on social media and then asking me for a photo afterwards.”

Today, Javi leal seems to have taken a step back:

“Today, it doesn't affect me anymore. I'm in a different state of mind.”

Supervision and mental preparation

To cope with these pressures, Javi leal surrounded himself with professionals, particularly in mental preparation, with a well-known figure on the circuit:

"With Eli Amatriain, former world number one. She helps me focus, better manage my emotions, my diet, my training. She helps me take it all seriously, like a real job.”

Valuable support, which changed his vision of the profession:

“Before, I lacked discipline. Now, I take everything seriously. I train every day. It's a full-time job.”

From now on, he works within a structured and professional environment:

“It’s super important. Before, I had a team… well, let’s say I did things a bit my own way, alone. But now, I’ve really structured things. I have Agustina, my nutritionist, who also works with sanjo, Eli, my psychologist, Juanma et Cow who are my coaches, and Marquito, my physical trainer.”

One of his priorities this season is to improve his physical condition, an area in which he has felt weak in the past:

“What I missed was the physical aspect. That’s what I’m working on the most at the moment. Silingo, which is very demanding. My goal this year is to be at my best physically to take it to the next level.”

He can also count on essential support in his daily life:

"Antonio, my agent. He's like a big brother to me. He helps me a lot on a daily basis. There were times when I told him: 'Antonio, I'm fed up, I want to quit, this isn't for me.' And he would say: 'Keep going Javi, you'll get there.' So I really thank him, because he helps me achieve my goals.”

New challenge

Javi leal, who had started the season alongside the Argentinian Sanyo Gutiérrez, will continue the competitions with another young Spaniard ranked 22nd in the world, Francisco GuerreroTheir new collaboration will officially begin at theAsunción P2, scheduled for May 18-25.

Nicolas Fillaudeau

A big sports enthusiast and former tennis player, I discovered padel a few years ago without really focusing on it. Then I became addicted to this sport by practicing it and watching the premier padel matches. Looking forward to sharing the 2025 news with you!

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