Alejandro Galán is the world No. 1, but he is also one of the most eloquent players. The Madrilenian speaks for Padel Magazine on his sometimes criticized relationship with Juan Lebron, his vision of padel of the future and France's role in it.

To read the transcript on the players' association of which he is the president Click here ! Ale Galán: “A player circuit for the future”

“People must understand: we play to win”

Lorenzo Lecci López: With Juan Lebron, when you get to play your game, you seem almost invincible. Do you have that feeling when you come back on the court and you feel like it's a good day?

Ale Galán:“No, it's very hard! On the World Padel Tour, from the first round, it's very difficult to make a point. We always try to give our best version, but the rivals make things difficult for us. Luckily this season the results continue to be good for us. ”

Lorenzo Lecci López: How do you manage the pressure of the n ° 1, the fact of having to arrive in the last four of all tournaments?

Ale Galán:“Beyond the pressure of being n ° 1, every year I start from scratch and tell myself that I want to succeed in being n ° 1 again. If you have that in mind, it's the “Race” that counts. It's like a football championship, it's the one who scores the most points at the end who wins. The pressure comes from the urge to do it again. It is true that I am very demanding of myself and that if I lose prematurely in a tournament, I take it badly and I train harder the next day. ”

galan Zinedine Zidane Z5 PADEL

Different techniques

Lorenzo Lecci López: Who hits the hardest between Juan Lebron and Ale Galán?

Ale Galán:“I think we have different techniques. I use power instead. He bends in a particular way (that's why we call him el Lobo -le Loup-), and it's a different technique. ” 

Lorenzo Lecci López: There have been criticisms of Juan Lebron's way of criticizing you for things on the court. How is it to play with Juan Lebron on a mental level?

Ale Galán:“Juan and I are two very demanding people on the court. What happens on social media, we try not to read. The difference between him and me is that he is much more expressive than me. When we communicate, he gesticulates a lot more. In some cases it doesn't mean anything bad to me. It is a shame because it is criticized unfairly. We are very demanding, but we do not demand more from others than from ourselves. People have to understand that we are playing to win. ”

When the Swedes arrive ...

Lorenzo Lecci López: The padel always goes faster and many say it is by your influence. Do you think that you have to play always faster to win?

Ale Galán:“No, all games we prepare differently. Juan and I are confident and we are trying to set our pace. We are demanding in our daily life. We try to be real athletes. If somebody's really prepared, I don't think they're going to find our game so fast. ”

"The padel in a few years will be a top sport at international level. I remember the half we played against Arroyo and Coelho, I said they represented the padel 3.0. The ball was coming even faster. They are tall, powerful players. When the Swedes arrive, they who are often very tall, I think it is the padel from the future. Everything will be more professional, and the ball will go faster. ”

ale galan Zinedine Zidane Z5 PADEL adidas victory

France has great potential

Lorenzo Lecci López: You are number 1 and you come to France. We have good results in the WPT, especially with Alix Collombon. How do you see it padel French?

Ale Galán:“I think it's a country with great potential. A country with a strong tradition in racket sports. I think that quickly we can have French players in the men's table who will play the last rounds. Alix is ​​doing some really nice things right now in the female table. the padel is an unstoppable phenomenon, and great players will come out of France!

From his names, we can guess his Spanish and Italian origins. Lorenzo is a multilingual passionate about sports: journalism by vocation and events by worship are his two legs. He is the international gentleman of Padel Magazine. You will often see it on the various international competitions, but also on the major French events. @eyeofpadel on Instagram to see his best photos of padel !