Chingotto: “I felt like I was fading away, but with Galán I found myself again”

In a very confidential interview given to Twenty Ten, Federico Chingotto looked back on his spectacular evolution during the 2024 season, his transformation into a more decisive player and his ambition alongside Alejandro Galán to secure the place of world number one.

A 2024 season full of promise despite the final frustration

Alongside Galán, Chingotto had a brilliant year, marked by major victories and a constant presence in the last four of tournaments. However, the end of the season left a bitter taste, particularly because of the spectacular rise of Tapia and Coello, their direct rivals, after their heavy defeat at P2 in Genoa.

“We didn't know how to react in time. After Genoa's second-place finish, they won everything for five months. Their numbers were scary, especially Coello's: 2 winners, 22 unforced errors... It was unbeatable.”

Chingotto recognizes that this domination is not due to a weakness on their part but to the irresistible rise of their adversaries.

A life-saving style transformation

The Argentine player largely attributes his metamorphosis to the intervention of his coach Jorge Martínez, which helped him adopt a more aggressive game.

“With Gaby Reca and Paquito, I had started to explore this more offensive version, but I had trouble expressing it in matches. With Jorge and Ale, I finally found the spark. I felt like I was fading away.”

This newfound aggressiveness now allows him to stand up to players like Arturo Coello in the diagonal, and of decide the matches with more regularity.

The highlight of the World Cup in Dubai

Chingotto also returns to the emotion experienced during the World Cup final against Spain, where, associated with Tapia, he dominated the Galán / Lebrón duo in a decisive match.

“I'd been eyeing this match for a year. I wanted to erase the defeat of 2023. When we won, I felt an incredible sense of relief. But afterward, during the last match of the final, I couldn't stop praying for Leo (Augsburger) and Tino (Libaak). They were incredible.”

A schedule that is becoming clearer, and an eye on the competition

Asked about his absence from the tournaments of Gijon and Cancun, Chingotto explains that this break allowed them to make a second beneficial pre-season, consolidating their complicity with Galán. The duo is also present at the Brussels P2.

Finally, Chingotto did not hide his satisfaction at seeing his former teammate Juan Tello return to the top:

“I'm really happy for Juan. He's back to his best and his best. With Di Nenno, they'll form a very tough pair to beat.”

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !