The Argentinian player, Juan Tello, recently spoke to the microphone ofEl4Set, looking back on a difficult period in his career and his delicate choice to leave Tino Libaak to continue the season alongside Martin Di Nenno.

A lull

Juan Tello has been through a complicated period since his separation from Federico Chingotto end of 2022. “El Gato” has struggled to regain consistency and his best level over the past two seasons.

“I didn't feel good on the court, nor in my daily training. Especially on the court. When you feel like things aren't working, that things aren't working with your partner... it's difficult, I felt very low.”

He admits that nothing was working anymore, whether in his results or in his daily routine as an athlete.

“For me, everyday life is essential. In tournaments, you give your all, but it's at home, every day in training, that you learn and regain your confidence.”

The Libaak trigger

Today, this bad patch seems to be behind him. Juan Tello claims to have found his game and his confidence at the start of the season.

“Compared to what I've been through, yes, I'm in a good phase. I'm happy.”

The trigger came from his association with Tino Libaak, a young Argentinian prodigy, who gave him back his taste for competition and allowed him to approach this season with great ambitions.

“Having Tino as a partner. This 19-year-old kid, he has everything. He was already achieving great results. He even beat me two or three times. He had 'vaccinated' me, as they say! But I had new hope with him. I thought we could really do something this year.”

Their complementarity, on and off the field, allowed them to achieve great performances in just three tournaments, including a semi-final at Santiago P1 and victories against pairs from the world's Top 10. A very promising dynamic, which gave hope of an entry into the Top 8.

Santiago P1 - Tello and Libaak reach their first semi-final together

“On a sporting level, he has all the moves, speed, and instincts needed to be dangerous, especially on slow tracks like we often see today. He has everything it takes to become number one. But above all, on a human level… incredible. I didn't know him, I had never spoken to him. At 19, he has impressive maturity and humility. He takes his work seriously, he has nothing to say, he never complains. At 19, I was far from that. I was touched to say goodbye to him.”

A difficult career choice

Di Nenno's proposal

At the beginning of April, the announcement came: Juan Tello joined Martin Di Nenno, 8th in the world. A decision which comes as Di Nenno, associated to Javi Garrido, is struggling to achieve the results hoped for for a pair ranked 5th in the world.

“Martín (Di Nenno) sent me a message… and I replied: “Why are you sending me this now, you motherfucker?!” (laughs)

This choice was particularly difficult to assume for Tello, who had just built a great relationship on and off the field with Libaak.

“I was feeling good. Tino and I had just played three tournaments, and we were improving each time. We had reached the quarterfinals, a semifinal in Chile… we were competitive against top pairs. Then this message arrived… And then I thought about all that. Not for sporting reasons, but human ones. Because I really got along well with Tino. We had started preparing together at the end of January.”

The opportunity to join the Top 8

Join us Di Nenno, it also meant directly entering the world Top 8, a determining criterion in the current very competitive context of the circuit.

“Playing with Martín allowed me to get into the top 8, to be seeded in Belgium. Today, falling out of the top 8 is risky; you can fall in the 8th place against a top 4 pair. And it's hard to win matches now.”

“But the reality is that the temptation is strong when you are offered an immediate project in the top 5.”

A shortened collaboration

Finally, Tello et Libaak will have only played four tournaments together. A brief but significant collaboration, including a quarter-final at the Riyadh P1 and a semi-final at Santiago, as well as three wins against Top 10 pairs.

“And it hurt me to break that project, because I really believed in us. I don't think anyone wanted to play us in the last 8, even after only three tournaments. Luckily, Tino understood. He was very mature. He didn't expect it, obviously. We had just come back from Chile. And on Tuesday, I told him that.”

A decision as heavy as it is emotional:

“I hesitated a lot, it was sad. Many will say, 'It's just a decision day,' but no, it was really hard.”

More Tello does not exclude a future reunification of the duo:

“But like I told him, ‘We all know how it works here. In two or three tournaments, everything can change. Maybe we’ll play together again.’ I left the door open for him. We got along really well, even in a short time. And I sincerely thank him for that.”

A new beginning with Di Nenno

A change of style too, since Di Nenno brings a more experienced approach.

“Tino is energy, madness. He doesn't think too much. He's young, it's normal to have ups and downs. Sometimes I had to tone things down. Martín is 28, he has more experience. With him, I think we can play with more calm, more maturity. And that's valuable in intense matches.”

Another important factor in the decision of Tello to join Di Nenno is the fact that the two players, in addition to having already shared the field during theHexagon Cup in pre-season, resident in the same city.

Tello / Di Nenno: already several victories under his belt

“I always wanted to play with him. We played together in the Hexagon Cup. And he lives in Madrid, like me. So we can train together every day, which wasn't the case with Tino (Barcelona). It's a real plus.”

A new chapter therefore opens for Juan Tello, currently ranked 18th in the world, who will begin his new adventure with Martin Di Nenno on the occasion of Brussels P2, end of April. A union that will form the 6th pair in the world on the circuit Premier Padel.

Nicolas Fillaudeau

A big sports enthusiast and former tennis player, I discovered padel a few years ago without really focusing on it. Then I became addicted to this sport by practicing it and watching the premier padel matches. Looking forward to sharing the 2025 news with you!

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