Before becoming the world number one in padel, Juan Lebrón grew up in a small Andalusian village, in a modest but close-knit family. In an intimate interview with Josep Pedrerol in The Snack TV, he looks back on his beginnings, his competitive temperament and the moment when he left everything to follow his dream.

4 coffees a day and an electric temperament

From the first minutes of the interview, the tone is set. Juan Lebrón, 29, can't sit still.

"I drink four to five coffees a day. Yes, I'm a little nervous," he smiles.

On and off the pitch, the Martín de la Jara native insists on constant intensity: "I believe you can't play without intensity. Today, in sport, if you're not fully committed in training, you don't stand a chance."

He also acknowledges that physical appearance has taken precedence over talent, although he believes that the complete player is one who possesses both. "If you have talent and physical appearance, you can become world number one. Like I was."

A working family, between cheese and jewelry

Born in a village of 2 inhabitants in Andalusia, Juan Lebrón recounts his parents' story with emotion. "My father was a street vendor. He sold cheese and hams. He also worked with my grandfather in the fields."

“My parents did everything they could to ensure my brothers and I had the perfect childhood. They achieved it. They are my two idols.”

His father, Matías, also a former footballer and president of a local club, discovered padel after moving to El Puerto de Santa María. "He surrounded himself with good friends. And that's where I discovered padel, following him."

Family humility still accompanies him today: "My father, my mother, my brothers... everyone is hardworking. And I am hardworking in sports."

Juan Lebrón: “Galán let me down at the worst time”

An obsession: padel

Lebrón confesses to being completely absorbed by this sport. "I'm very obsessed. Winning, losing, training... everything is related to padel."

This obsession goes hand in hand with a difficulty in losing: "I don't like losing. Really don't. It costs me a lot."

Behind this passion lies a strong choice: at 15, Juan decided to stop his studies. "I remember very well the day I told my mother. We were in the car. She slapped me in the face like I'll never forget!"

He was then followed by an educational psychologist, who played a key role: "She told my mother and my sister: 'Your son is not going to continue his studies. He wants to become an athlete.' And it was true. I was convinced."

From football to padel: a decisive shift

Before specializing in padel, Lebrón was also a good soccer player. "I played indoors and on the big court. I did well in both."

But it's the atmosphere of the padel tournaments that makes the difference: "We took the bus with the instructors to Madrid, Badajoz, or Malaga. We experienced magical moments. The coaches were like our parents."

An unusual memory comes back: "We had a dog. I used to throw balls at her in the garden. She escaped several times. We played with her all the time."

Madrid, 17 years old, alone and determined

At 17, Juan decided to leave his family for Madrid. "I knew I had to go there to succeed. In Madrid, there are the best players, the best coaches, everything."

He joined a sports boarding school with other young talents, including Real Madrid hopefuls. "The first two months, I missed my parents. But then I felt free. They let us manage our own schedules."

Initially studious, he ended up skipping classes to train even more. "I realized I could do something more important with padel. So I put all my energy into it."

A risky choice, one he fully accepts: "My parents made a lot of sacrifices for my studies. It was hard for them to see me stop. But I knew what I was doing."

Juan Lebrón, with his family heritage, winning instinct, and unwavering determination, embodies a unique profile in the world of padel. His early life, steeped in football, cheese sales, and family sacrifices, sheds new light on the career of an extraordinary champion.

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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