Ignatius Piotto is one of the promises of padel Argentine. At only 20 years old, the native of Concaran San Luis has just settled near Alicante in the academy of Sanyo and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Padel Magazine meets the Argentinian from the Tenerife OpenAPT Padel Tour. Nacho is a more intelligent than aggressive left player, who has a large range of offensive shots.

He currently plays alongside legend Cristian Gutierrez on the APT, but is also featured on the WPT and Premier Padel.

Cristian Gutierrez, extra pressure

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: You are currently playing on the APT with Cristian Gutierrez. From the outside it looks very demanding. Do you feel this pressure to play alongside him?

Nacho Piotto:“Just looking to my right and seeing Cristian Gutierrez puts the pressure on. Now we've been playing together for a while, but the first tournament I couldn't play… So I worked with a psychologist, and now I play more relaxed. It's true that I have this pressure all the time, because people watch us play to see him. It's an extra pressure.”

APT-WEDNESDAY piotto gutierrez

Nacho's Game Decryption

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: Tell us about your strengths and weaknesses. What are your most effective shots? What aspects of the game do you still need to work on?

Nacho Piotto:"I think my best shot is the forehand volley, and the one I hit most naturally is the backhand volley."

" bandeja I have to work on it again. The ball does not come out on all surfaces, nor am I a player who hits the smash so well. I hit with spin, but if the surface is not fast it can play tricks on me. The par 3 these days isn't really effective anymore because everyone is able to get out and bring it back.”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: You are a left player who defends very well. Do you think about going right one day?

Nacho Piotto:“All my minor stage I played it on the right! And I sometimes play on the right, but I'm much more comfortable on the left now.

piotto bandeja madrid p1

Tennis from 2 years old!

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: How did you start the padel ? Who were the reference players for you?

Nacho Piotto:“I started playing tennis at the age of 2! I played soccer and tennis, and at the age of 9 I started padel. I played all three sports for a while. I decided to devote myself to padel. "

“At first, I was mostly looking at Lamperti. Then when I started to really understand the padel, I followed Bela, Juan Martin Diaz, Cristian Gutierrez a lot.”

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: We are in an unprecedented situation in the world of padel with three circuits. You play a bit of everything. How do you see the situation?

Nacho Piotto:“I didn't sign any contract. It's true that I play the WPT more than anything else but I didn't want to sign a contract to have the freedom to play Premier Padel, or the APT.”

APT-WEDNESDAY piotto backhand volley

Brand new from Sanyo

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: You have been living in Spain for some time, but you have just moved.

Nacho Piotto:"Yes, I've been in Spain for a year and a half, but I moved last week to Alicante in the academy of Juan Carlos Ferrero and Sanyo Gutierrez."

Lorenzo Lecci Lopez: Is it easier today than before for young Argentinians who want to move to Spain to live off padel ?

Nacho Piotto:“It's easier than a few years ago, but it's not easy. Premier Padel, if you don't have points you can't play. The WPT is the same. APT it also starts. If you don't win a few matches, you don't get any prize money. In the end, it is the brands that must bet on you.”

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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