Juan Lebrón is a controversial player on the international circuit. He has made a name for himself, particularly thanks to his performances, he is one of the most talented players of his generation. With Paquito Navarro, it even reaches world number one in 2019, then retains this place until 2023, this time alongsideAlejandro Galán, with whom he joined forces in 2020. His career is marked by 39 tracksIncluding 2 Masters Finals et 2 Majors. But its notoriety is also due to its strong character, sometimes poorly received by the public and certain players.

A “bad boy” image

The native of Santa Maria Port has built a reputation as a player in hot temper. Whether with his partners, his opponents or even the referees, Juan Lebrón is often at the heart of tensions. We remember in particular the incident during the WPT Chile, where he verbally attacked the referee after a foot fault was counted against him.

The tensions of Juan Lebrón are not limited only to the field, the Spanish player has also been involved in altercations with several personalities from the world of padel. We remember in particular the incident during the Greenweez Paris Major Premier Padel, where a dispute broke out between Lebrón and the Argentine team surrounding the pair Chozas/Augsburger.

According to Lisandro Borges, tournament organizer and president of the Argentine Padel Association (although not recognized by the FIP), Lebrón would have shown aggressive behavior, even going so far as to verbally threaten Facundo Guzzetti, member of the Argentine team and creator of the YouTube channel Market of PadelThe incident fueled discussions, reinforcing the image of Lebrón as having an explosive temperament, both on and off the court.

Juan Lebrón victim of his image?
Credit Premier Padel

Accusations of lack of fair play

Lebrón is also accused of lacking fair play. Recently, during the final of the World's Championships, he allegedly deliberately dropped a ball from his pocket to get a let. In the semi-final of the WPT Toulouse 2022 he had chained together requests for physiotherapy and breaks to break the rhythm of the match : this behavior was obviously not very appreciated by Tapia and Sanyo, his adversaries.

During the final of WPT Chile 2022, A major controversy has erupted over a refereeing error. Arturo Coello made a winning smash that appeared to hit the glass. The referee, ruling that the ball had hit the glass first, awarded the point to the Spaniards. Adding to the confusion was the change in the score on the scoreboard: from 40/30 for Coello and Wall, the score has gone to 30/40, without the players realizing the mistake. Coello and Tapia, sure of having won the next point and therefore the title, did not notice the referee's announcement. For his part, Juan Lebrón, who seemed to have perceived that the ball was good, did not show fair play, by refraining from awarding the point to his opponents.

Another notable incident occurred in Qatar earlier this year : while he was playing with Galán against Yanguas et Garrido, Lebrón, in a gesture of anger, threw a ball at full speed that grazed Mike Yanguas' head. This incident sparked an altercation with Yanguas' coach and Garrido, Mieres, and contributed to the duo's separation Galan-Lebron, with Galán visibly exhausted.

Lebrón, unfairly singled out?

The controversies surrounding Lebrón are numerous and it would take time to list them all. They fuel and tarnish his reputation, but is he unfairly criticized? He remains very appreciated by many players, as Martín Di Nenno, who publicly defends him. Aren't the public and the media making too much of him because of this "bad boy" image that has been created around him? At the slightest little thing, Juan Lebrón is being singled out. A mistrust seems to have settled around Juan Lebrón, but is it justified?

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 !

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