Criticized for his attitude on the pitch, sometimes considered arrogant or provocative, Juan Lebrón has been at the heart of several high-profile controversies. In the rest of his interview for The Snack, the Andalusian player looks back on these difficult moments, notably the episode in Qatar, and tries to explain the origin of his excesses. 

Qatar: A tense turning point

It's one of the most significant episodes in Juan Lebrón's recent career. During a tournament in Qatar, several of his actions shocked the padel community: inappropriate behavior, provocations toward the crowd, and extreme tension on the court.

“I looked at the footage. Two or three times. Honestly,  I didn't recognize myself . It wasn't me."

He admits it frankly:

“I wasn't well. I wasn't well mentally. I was hurt, frustrated, under pressure. I exploded. I did anything.”

“That day, I didn't like myself. And I guess people didn't like me either.”

The weight of criticism and hostility

Juan Lebrón says to himself  victim of special treatment  in the media and on networks.

"People said I was a bad person. That I was hurting padel. But I just wanted to keep going. I wanted to be number one."

He admits to having often been targeted:

"The slightest gesture, the slightest grimace... we made videos, montages, articles. It was always against me."

“There was a relentlessness. I felt it. It was as if  they didn't want me to be at the top  »

For him, some comments crossed the line:

"I was accused of serious things. They said I was disrespectful, that I didn't deserve my titles."

A response on the ground

Faced with criticism, Lebrón tries to get back on his feet through play. He works on his attitude, returns to a better physical level, and  continues to win with Galán  before their separation.

"When I came back from injury, I was still fragile. But we won. We proved it."

He emphasizes that his goal has never changed: to be the best.

“I'm a competitor. I've always wanted to win. And I think sometimes that's scary.”

"But that's no excuse. I deeply regret what I did in Doha. I never want to go through that again."

A desire to change… or to find oneself

Since these events, Juan Lebrón says he has taken a step back. He says he wants to evolve,  find the version of himself that he respects .

"I learned. I took some slaps. And now I want to show another image."

He insists:

“I'm not perfect. But I'm loyal. And I love this sport more than anything.”

To watch the video in Spanish:

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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