This is a situation that few fans of padel could have predicted: Lebron and Galan have still not won a single title in 2023.

Three years at the top

If expectations around the new Di Nenno / Stupa and Coello / Tapia pairs were high, Lebron and Galan started the 2023 season as a pair to beat. Number 1 in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the players of Mariano Amat seemed to leave with a head start, in particular in view of their experience as a pair and their complementarity on the track. Remember that over the past three years, the Spaniards have won 27 titles:

  • 6 in 2020 toy
  • 7 in 2021 toy
  • 14 in 2022 (10 on the WPT, 4 on Premier Padel)

Injuries and a big lack of confidence

But this season, the results have not lived up to expectations, and those who are still number 1 in the FIP ranking have still not won a single title. It must be said that Ale and Juan were not spared by injuries, the first having played 14 tournaments, when the second only played 10… In these conditions, it was difficult to find rhythm, especially since Lebron seems to be struggling to regain his level, after a difficult time on a personal level.

Despite this, the talent is still there, since Galan has played 4 finals this year (including 3 with Lebron), but it is the confidence that is lacking in the players of the M3 Academy. We say to ourselves that if they manage to unlock their counter, they will certainly be able to be ultra-competitive again.

Absent from the lead car, but until when?

Semi-finalists in Malaga and Mendoza, “El Lobo” and “Galantico” are gradually finding sensations but it is not yet enough to get closer to the two pairs that have dominated since the start of the season: Coello / Tapia , and to a lesser extent Di Nenno/Stupa. Indeed, the former won 13 titles while the latter took 5. It's simple, these pairs are the only two to have won major tournaments this season.

Coello Tapia Stupa Di Nenno Final Mendoza P1 Trophy 2023

Lebron and Galan must now take advantage of the truce to find their best level and work on their automatisms to try to hang up the lead wagon, at the risk of being relegated to third place. Can they achieve it? The second part of the season promises to be exciting no matter what!

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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