Sanyo Gutiérrez: "Since I accepted that I would no longer win, I play for fun"

Argentinian Sanyo Gutierrez, an emblematic figure of padel, spoke without filter for BRAND on his start to the 2025 season, his many changes of partners, and his vision of a sport that he sees evolving... sometimes without him. An interview between lucidity, nostalgia and intact passion.

The Italy Major, an exceptional tournament

Sanyo was marked by the Italy Major:

"It was the most beautiful tournament in history. Play at foro italico, in this environment, it is a dream for my generation. Roland Garros, it's very beautiful too, but Rome has a different soul. »
In terms of sports performance, Sanyo and its partner Alex Chozas fought to reach the 1/8th, it is against the TS4 Nieto/Yanguas that they logically lost 6/3 7/5.

End of association with Chozas, return of a difficult instability to live with

The tournament Valladolid will mark the end of his short collaboration with Alex Chozas :

“I don’t even call it a ‘project’ anymore. With Huts, there was no no affinity off the field. We didn't see things the same way. And today, I want to go to a tournament and pto give pleasure at any time, not just when I'm playing. That wasn't the case."

Three partners in four months : an unusual instability for a player who has always advocated stability. "I'm bad at it, I don't know how to change partners. But I decided not to let anyone spoil my fun." I know I won't win again, so I want to enjoy it, be competitive, and have fun.”

Sanyo emphasizes that he continues to look for a teammate with whom he will feel the same connection that he had with Agustín Tapia.

"With Tapia, we had created something special. If there was no tournament for two weeks, I missed him."

A critical look at the new generation

"I often tell young people that making money doesn't mean being an accomplished player. Today, many believe that receiving big checks equals success. No. It's missing the hungry for titles, glory, history. »

Sanyo already warns that as future coach, he will insist on these values:

"I want to bring out the competitor in them, not just the one looking at their bank account. The years go by quickly, and you never get your 20s back. »

An expert's take on the race to the top

Regarding the fight for the number 1 spot, Sanyo believes that Galán and Chingotto are the most consistentMore Tapia and Coello remain the strongest overall.

"They are not not unbeatable. Pairs like Lebron/Stupa ou Galan/Chingo may worry them. This season will be more balanced than the previous one. I think this year is going to be a nice challenge for world number 1, they will have to confirm and show that they are a notch above. »

Sanyo also gave his opinion on another pair that is causing a lot of talk: Wall said that Cardona and Augsburger became his “pet peeve”.

"They are still inconstant, even if this season has a upward trajectory for them, we cannot yet fully count on this pair. They are very strong on fast tracks, but significantly less on slow tracks, such as in Argentina, at P1 in Buenos Aires where they had more trouble."

"They will cause problems for everyone. They have a lot of potential, provided you are well both coordinated. It's a very good thing to have a dangerous pair outside the top 4: this gives a lot of life to the quarter-finals. »

His adaptation to modern padel and his ambitions for the rest of the season

“Today, I try to adapt to what modern padel demands. conditions proposed by Premier Padel do not favor right-wing players like me. There are exceptions, like Chingotto who fights for the place of Volume 1. But if you ask him if he likes the current conditions of play, I'm sure thathe will tell you no. I obviously admire that. adaptability, he knew how to reinvent his game and compensate for its size deficit with other aspects of the game"

Sanyo Tapia semi-final victory WPT Valencia Open

"Some will say that I criticize because I don't win anymore. Maybe with the old conditions, I wouldn't win today either. But I think above all for the good of padel, the development of sport makes us make a lot of mistakes. But I hope that one day, we will reach a balance in game conditions which will be able to satisfy all types of profiles. »

Lucid about his current level, Sanyo aims for more than quarter-finals and hopes to find the center track :

"I couldn't even train on the central in Rome. En Argentina, I lost a match that would have allowed me toface Tapia, at home, in a full stadium…it broke my heart.”
Excerpt from the interview with Jesus Mata for the newspaper MARCA.

Teo Vieau

He discovered padel in 2016 in Nantes and quickly became attached to the game, commentating on Padel Mag TV, he covers the various tournaments on the French circuit as well as international tournaments organized in France!