Miguel Lamperti , a legend of world padel, spoke frankly in a long interview for Energy PadelAt 46, the Argentinian looks back on his career, his regrets, his approach to the top level and above all the question he is asked most often:  Why was he never world number 1? 

 “There were players better than me” 

Miguel isn't looking for excuses. According to him, the answer is simple: others did better. He flirted with the top spots,  number 3, sometimes 2 , but never at the top:

"There were four players who did it better. I'm not bitter, it doesn't hurt me. Would I have liked it? Yes. But I'm not losing sleep over it."

 “You have to want to be number 1, and sacrifice everything.” 

In a powerful passage of the interview, Lamperti mentions a documentary series on  Carlitos de Caraz  :

"If a child has the opportunity to see it, let them watch it. Because to be number 1, you have to want to be number 1, really. And they want to be number 1 in their own way. But to do that, you have to give up a lot of things."

And this is where Miguel makes his own mea culpa. He acknowledges that he never wanted to sacrifice everything:

"I never gave up on anything. Luckily, I never liked alcohol or drugs, but I was never a professional, professional, professional."

 A late shift towards professionalism 

Lamperti confides that he only started training seriously from  2009 , when he signed with  Nox  :

"Since I signed with Nox, I said: now I will train seriously. And I will always be grateful to them."

Since arriving in Spain, he says he has adopted a real high-level player routine, with  4 hours of daily training , physical work and a more rigorous lifestyle. But this came late... well after the peak of his physical capabilities.

 “I was never number 1, but I made an impression.” 

Lamperti remains however  a player adored by the public , a role model for a whole generation. Fans still tattoo his name, children recognize him everywhere. His charisma, his unique style and his smile have made him  unforgettable , beyond the titles.

"I was never number one in the rankings, but I was in the hearts of many. And that's the most important thing."

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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