Lisandro Borges successfully organized the competition he had planned a few years ago. a America vs Europe en padel in the style of Roger Federer's Laver Cup. The former president of the Argentine federation answers questions from Padel Magazine.

America vs Europe: a success!

“I thought of America vs Europe when I saw the Laver Cup driven by Federer. I thought the padel needed a competition like this, also similar to the Ryder Cup of golf. I loved it when the teammates supported the player on the bench. So I gave the idea to World Padel Tour, and it took 3 years to sign the contract and for the WPT to hand over the player rights to me. ”

“When I introduced it to the players, they all agreed that it was very interesting, and that they were willing to play any type of tournament aimed at developing and disseminating the padel. The 20 players who attended were the ones who gave me the green light three years ago when it was still just an idea. It was a combination of the WPT who bought the idea, and who trusted me as the organizer, and the players who are the main players. ”

“This first edition was a success, despite the climatic difficulties. Together with the organizers and the players we managed to do it. The players were able to take some of their pressure off the circuit. They came with their wives, their children, and we enjoyed seeing them happy. ”

Agustin Tapia Smash America VS Europe 2021 Bastad

“We saw the main spirit of the tournament, the fact that the players are teammates. There are things that we are going to improve, but the results are really positive. ”

The explanation for Lebron's absence

“America vs Europe is a tournament for professional players. They therefore receive agent because they are doing their job. All players were paid the same entry fee, then the $ 100 that the players chose to divide into 000 for the winning team, and 70 for the loser. Sadly, Lebron called to ask for more pay as he is now No. 30 in the world. But we couldn't agree, because it meant breaking the deal we had. We said that all the players would get the same thing, without giving importance to the ranking. ”

Juan lebron celebration victory wpt santander

“Compared to Alex Ruiz who is an excellent player, we would have liked very much to have him in the team, but our team was already made. We would also have liked to have Stupa or Tello, but you have to choose 10 players. ”

“The next two editions will take place in Bastad, it's signed. I want to thank Eurofinals for the very good work. This place is wonderful. This tournament will still be in the month of July, the second or third week. ”

The renewal of padel in Argentina

“In 2015, when I speak with the WPT, I get the possibility of having a WPT date in Argentina. After the boom in padel in the 90s, a rivalry was born with tennis, and the detractors of padel invented that the padel caused knee injuries. The courts started to disappear little by little. When we took the Buenos Aires tournament it was a risky bet because we didn't know what it would be. padel in Buenos Aires. Inside the country, Argentines played padel, but not in the capital. In fact, 75% of the people who came came from the provinces. We sold all the tickets very quickly, and this tournament allowed for a new development. ”

Today, the businessman does not want to stop there and would like to offer its own circuit of padel professional. A news that will soon be the subject of another interview. Stay Connected!

 

From his names, we can guess his Spanish and Italian origins. Lorenzo is a multilingual passionate about sports: journalism by vocation and events by worship are his two legs. He is the international gentleman of Padel Magazine. You will often see it on the various international competitions, but also on the major French events. @eyeofpadel on Instagram to see his best photos of padel !

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