Federico Chingotto offers a rare perspective on the very highest level of world padel. With admiration, analysis, and clear-sightedness, the Argentinian explains why some players, starting with Juan Lebrón, give him the impression of operating on another level.

He explains himself frankly in a sequence taken from a video by VeinteDiez,

 A game-obsessive's gaze 

«  I'm a padel fanatic.  "Chingotto acknowledges. The Argentinian player doesn't just play: he observes, dissects, and analyzes constantly.
"I love watching, learning from others, understanding what they do," he explains.

This approach led him to study certain profiles in depth, notably Sanyo Gutiérrez, whose vision of the game impressed him:
"When I started watching it more, I started winning."

Before that, Chingotto admits to having been somewhat scattered in his analyses, observing without a clear direction. Now, his approach is more structured, focused on the precise study of his opponents.

 Lebrón, “el lobo”, above? 

But it is especially when discussing Juan Lebrón that Chingotto and, above all, Rodrigo Ovide are impressed. Nicknamed "  the wolf  "(the wolf), the Spaniard embodies for him a form of almost inaccessible limit.

«  I look at him and I think to myself: it's impossible to play against these guys. Impossible to beat them.  »

A strong statement, which reflects less of an inferiority complex than a deep respect for the level of play on display.

What strikes Chingotto most is the  apparent ease  with which Lebrón pulls off extraordinary shots:
"The ease with which he pulls off certain shots... it's incomprehensible."

He specifically mentions game situations where the Spaniard seems capable of managing unbalanced exchanges on his own:
"I saw him create two-on-one situations, controlling everything... it shocked me."

 A clash that was as much physical as it was technical 

Beyond the technical aspects, it's the  full physical profile  de Lebrón, who is impressive:
power, explosiveness, flexibility, adaptability.

«  His strength, his agility, his elasticity… and what he does with the racket… it’s hard to believe.  " says Rodrigo Ovide.

After certain defeats, such as the one mentioned in Cancún, Chingotto explains that he  analyzed the semi-finals and finals in detail seeking to understand what makes the difference at the highest level.

A process of continuous observation, which has now become an essential weapon in its evolution.

These remarks illustrate a reality that is often under-expressed in high-level sport: even the best players in the world can be impressed by their rivals.

At Chingotto, this lucidity does not hinder ambition. On the contrary, it underlines it.  the extreme demands of the professional circuit where every detail counts, and where the difference sometimes lies in an ability to reproduce the exceptional… regularly.

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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