The qualification of  Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger  for the quarter-finals of the  London Premier Padel P1  It hasn't been easy. Opposed to  Juan Tello and Maxi Arce The No. 3 seeds had to dig deep to win in three sets (3/6 7/6 6/2), at the end of a match marked as much by its sporting intensity as by the visible tensions between the two partners.

A first warning sign after a disappointing first set

Quickly outmaneuvered by a particularly inspired Tello/Arce pairing, Lebrón and Augsburger lost the first set, never finding their rhythm. During the first changeover, cameras captured a visibly frustrated Juan Lebrón.

True to his fiery temperament, the Andalusian tried to provoke a reaction by shouting at his team:  "Are we the third or thirteenth best pair in the world?" 

Alongside him, Leo Augsburger remained much more discreet, mainly letting their coach take the lead.  Agustín Gómez Silingo  intervene. The former Argentinian player then insisted on the need to increase the offensive intensity, a diagnosis that Lebrón did not totally share, believing that the difficulties stemmed primarily from the direct mistakes committed by his team.

Before returning to the track, the Spanish world champion once again tried to rouse his partner:  "Wake up! Do we already want to go on vacation or what?"  This remark prompted Silingo to immediately calm the exchanges in order to prevent frustration from taking over.

Leo Augsburger: "I'm not speaking to him (Lebrón) anymore. I'm winning the match and going back to the hotel." silingo

Augsburger finally responded

The scenario repeated itself a few games later. As the second set approached its conclusion and elimination loomed dangerously close, Lebrón once again launched a barrage of criticism.

This time, Leo Augsburger came out of his shell.

The Argentinian then reportedly told his coach that he no longer wished to engage in these exchanges, preferring to focus exclusively on the end of the match:  "I'm not speaking to him anymore. I'm winning the match and going back to the hotel." 

Faced with this situation, Agustín Gómez Silingo intervened once again to remind everyone that the duo's attitude could turn the tide of the match. The message seems to have been received.

A few moments later, Lebrón changed his tune, calling on his partner to rediscover a true team spirit:  "We shout together, we remain a team. I want to win." 

A victory that barely masks the tensions

The speech finally paid off. Lebrón and Augsburger won the tie-break in the second set before definitively taking control of the match in a largely dominant third set.

From a sporting perspective, this victory once again confirms the duo's ability to raise their level in decisive moments. Since joining forces, the Spaniard has brought all his experience from the world elite, while Augsburger displays a rare offensive power, notably thanks to one of the most formidable smashes on the circuit.

But this match also highlights an aspect already observed on several occasions in Juan Lebrón: his extreme demands on his teammates. The former world number one experiences each point with an intensity rarely matched, sometimes at the risk of letting his frustration get the better of him. In the past, this facet of his personality has already fueled several much-discussed exchanges, notably with Alejandro Galán, and more recently with Martín Di Nenno.

Quarters with questions

While the No. 3 pair continues its run in London, this qualification still raises some questions. Facing very high-level opposition, the duo's mental fortitude could quickly be tested.

Leo Augsburger: "I'm not speaking to him (Lebrón) anymore. I'm winning the match and going back to the hotel."

One thing is certain: despite the tensions, Lebrón and Augsburger have once again demonstrated their ability to turn a difficult match into a victory. It remains to be seen whether this sustained intensity will continue to fuel their success… or ultimately weaken their partnership.

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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