Arturo Coello, his superstitions and the pressure of playing at home: "Valladolid is love and hate"

Behind the world number one is also a player with his own habits, loved ones, and a few superstitions. Guest on the show Bandeja de Premier PadelArturo Coello opened up about the special pressure he feels when he plays at home in Valladolid, the essential role of his entourage and the little rituals that accompany him from one tournament to the next.

Being world number one inevitably means living in the spotlight. But when Arturo Coello returns to play at Valladolid , his hometown and region, the exhibition takes on yet another dimension.

In the show Bandeja de Premier PadelThe Spaniard gave an interesting account of this week, which was anything but ordinary. Between the joy of being reunited with his family, demands placed upon him, sporting pressure, and little rituals, Coello revealed another side of his personality.

"Valladolid is a place of love and hate."

For Arturo Coello, playing in Valladolid is obviously one of the highlights of his season. But playing in front of his home crowd and loved ones also comes with its share of challenges.

When asked if Agustín Tapia is more nervous approaching tournaments in Argentina, Coello immediately draws a parallel with what he himself experiences in Valladolid.

"It's a different kind of week. As I always say, it's a week of love and hate."

Why this very special relationship?

Because Coello is not simply becoming the world's number 1 padel player again. He is also becoming Arturo again, the one his family, friends and acquaintances want to see again.

"It's a very nice week, but there are also many commitments, many people who are paying attention to you, and the focus is almost entirely on you."

The pressure is different from that experienced by many Argentinian players when they return to play in their country. According to Coello, there are enough of them to share this exposure more widely.

In Valladolid, he is undoubtedly the face of the tournament.

Arturo Coello, his superstitions and the pressure of playing at home: "Valladolid is a love-hate relationship."

How can you stay focused when everyone is demanding your attention?

This situation requires Coello to adopt a specific organizational structure.

The world number 1 explains that he relies heavily on his entourage to allow him to maintain an absolute priority: the athlete .

Miki, Maika and Julio play a particularly important role during this special week.

"They're making sure all my loved ones are happy. They're the three people who are helping me the most this week, and I'm focusing on my sport."

A division of roles that allows him to remain focused on his team, his training and Agustín Tapia.

Because Coello is perfectly aware of this: wanting to respond to all requests can quickly become incompatible with the demands of the very highest level.

"If you focus on anything other than sport and competition, it becomes difficult to perform."

He still manages to carve out some time to enjoy his family and friends. In Valladolid, he sleeps at home, which allows him to maintain a connection with his daily life.

But the objective remains the same.

"Obviously, we like to win at home, and if we want to win, we have to be at 100%."

Coello and his little superstitions

The interview then takes a lighter turn when Coello is asked about his habits when he returns to certain cities.

And the world number 1 readily admits it: He can be a little superstitious.

"Sometimes I'm a little superstitious about certain things."

In particular, there are several habits to which he remains faithful depending on the tournament.

In Valladolid, he sleeps at home. In Málaga, he stays with his partner Maika's parents. In Madrid, he also remains in his residence.

Three habits that he himself describes as "patterns" that he seeks to reproduce.

But it does not stop there.

A haircut to replicate the scenario of the previous year

Coello notably recounts an amusing anecdote from his time in Argentina.

The previous year, he had his hair cut the first day of the tournament .

So, back in Argentina, why change a recipe that had worked?

"Last year, I cut my hair on the very first day of the tournament, and this week I cut my hair again here in Argentina."

The world number 1 even jokes that these "innate sciences" might give him a little extra help.

Behind the joke, however, lies a very common mechanism among top athletes: reproduce habits that build confidence .

"I try to do things that gradually get me into the competition, that help me focus, and that give me that little bit of security we all need from time to time."

But his true ritual remains work.

Coello, however, is careful to immediately put these superstitions in their proper place.

A haircut or a hotel habit may provide him with a form of psychological comfort, but that is obviously not where he draws his true confidence.

For him, the best way to approach a tournament is to know that the work has been done correctly beforehand.

"What fulfills me most and relaxes me most is knowing that the daily work is done well."

He also cites the quality of his team's work and the collective dynamic as the main elements that allow him to approach the competition with confidence.

"Knowing that we are working well, conscientiously, that the team functions and that the dynamics are good, that's what helps me the most."

A way of reminding us that behind the champion's little superstitions lies above all a very high-level, perfectly structured mechanism.

In Argentina too, the emotional dimension matters

This reflection echoes what Coello observes when he plays in Argentina with Agustín Tapia.

According to him, the tournament has an importance that goes far beyond points or prize money.

The Argentinian players perform in front of their families and loved ones, whom they sometimes see only very rarely during the season. This emotional dimension is also transmitted to their teammates.

Coello explains that he too wants to give more during this week so that Tapia can enjoy the track in front of his public for as long as possible.

A situation he probably understands better than many others.

Because a few weeks later, when the circuit passes through Valladolid, the roles are reversed.

This time, Arturo Coello becomes the center of attention. .

A week made up of "love and hate", in his own words, during which the world number 1 finally tries to achieve the most difficult thing: to remain only a padel player while, around him, everyone wants to find Arturo again.

CP: Premier Padel

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.