He climbs railings, mourns his loved ones from a distance, accepts his flaws in broad daylight, dreams of becoming president of the Brazilian Padel Federation and ending his days among cows. Lucas Campagnolo, one of the most endearing players on the circuit, delivered in Energy Podcast a heart-to-heart interview.

In a world where performance often masks the human element, “Campa” breaks the silence. Family sacrifices, locker room tears, injury, painful separation from Javi Garrido, back to the roots, projects for Brazil : everything is covered. No filter, no wooden language.

This is the story of a player for whom defeat is not a tragedy, but a passage. Of a man who has never forgotten where he comes from. And who, between two tournaments, dreams only of a field, a dog, and a little peace.

The child of Alegrete, between padel, football and the countryside

Born in Alegrete, in the south of Brazil, Lucas Campagnolo tenderly recounts his early years in a world shared between sport and nature.

"My childhood was like this: going to the club with my parents so I wouldn't be alone at home. And I immediately loved sports. Padel, football, and especially country life—they've always been my passion."

In the 2000s, padel tennis grew in southern Brazil thanks to the influence of neighboring countries. Lucas was immersed in it from an early age, but he already sensed that his path would not be linear.

The big leap: from veterinarian to Spain

The switch occurs in 2014, after a hard-fought match against Juan Tello at the Pan American Games.

"Juan invited me to spend three months in Spain. We were nobody at the time, but we came to play. After that, I returned to Brazil to study veterinary medicine."

The return was difficult. The dream of padel remained alive, but he had no papers, no security. He tried his luck again in 2015, with Lucas Cunha, then in 2016 with Lucas Bergamini.

"I thought padel would be a hobby. My future was to return to my city, live in the countryside and work with animals."

But everything changed at the World Championships in Cascais. Campagnolo shone with Julio Cesar Julianoti (mainly known for playing on APT at the time) Padel Tower). Martín Di Nenno, then injured, offered to join him.

"I asked my parents: Should I go or not? They said: Lucas, give it a try. You have nothing to lose. And now I've been in Spain for nine years."

The adventure with Bergamini: more than a duo

With Lucas Bergamini, they form one of the most popular pairs on the circuit.

"What I remember isn't the titles. We could have lost in the first round or won a tournament, it was the same. What mattered was that we were there, together, sleeping in a tiny room. Me on the bed, him on a mattress on the floor."

He recalls this era as a founding moment, when people mattered more than rankings.

"We had the same dream. We were shoulder to shoulder. And I will carry that with me all my life."

An injury that changes everything

Gradually, the hip pain becomes unbearable.

"I was limping to the end of matches, I couldn't recover. Car journeys were destroying me."

He has to stop. That's when his coach Gabi Reca suggests that he move from left player to right player.

"Gabi told me: you're going to run less, have less impact. And I see you being better on the right than on the left. I tried. And I think it was on the right that I played my best padel."

It's with Javi Garrido that he is living his best period.

The Valladolid Grid Affair

One of the most memorable moments of his career remains ValladolidHe celebrates a point by climbing onto the grid... and gets injured.

"I was at a high point in my career. I was on the verge of breaking into the top 8. And because of this injury, I lost everything."

But what affected him most was social media:

"I read some horrible comments. My wife said to me: Lucas, put that phone down, it's hurting you. Since that day, I've never climbed a fence again."

Social networks: double jeopardy

Campagnolo talks about his difficulty in handling criticism.

"You can receive 10 positive comments. There's only one negative one, and that's the one you remember."

He admits that if he could delete social media for everyone for a week, he would.

"We focus too much on the lives of others. We forget to look at those who are next to us."

The separation from Garrido: a hard-to-digest breakup

He returns to the highly publicized separation with Garrido.

"I reacted in the heat of the moment on social media. I should have kept it to myself. But that's my nature. I'm like that. And if I had been in his shoes, I might have done the same."

He explains that padel has changed, that the quick separations have become commonplace.

"Today, we change partners after two tournaments. Before, we talked about projects, about the team."

A philosophy of life: authenticity, simplicity and loyalty

Campagnolo claims a life far from artifice.

“I don't pretend. What you see is who I am. If I'm unhappy, it shows. If I'm happy, I show it. And I play better when I'm in that energy.”

This is also what he looks for in his relationships. He speaks of his immense gratitude for Horacio Álvarez Clementi, his first mentor in Spain.

“He was like a father. He invited me to eat at his house. He listened to me, gave me advice. I can never repay him for everything he did for me.”

A future in Brazil, in the heart of the land

Lucas does not hide his intention to return to live in Alegrete, on his farm.

"My dream? To be with my wife, my dogs, in the silence of the field. The sound of the cows, the roosters. Nothing else."

He also has a clear ambition: become president of the Brazilian Federation of Padel.

“I want to make sure more kids have a real chance. Back in my day, watching Pablo Lima train was like watching an untouchable legend. Today, everything is more accessible, and you have to take advantage of it.”

The hardest part: being away from your loved ones

"I miss everything: birthdays, Christmases, holidays. I don't even remember when I celebrated my birthday with my parents."

His attachment to his family is so strong that, even with a lucrative contract, he would be willing to leave everything if his wife asked him to return.

"If she ever tells me that's enough, that she wants to go home, we'll go home. Money isn't the most important thing."

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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