Sanyo Gutiérrez: “2023 is the most difficult season of my career”

At the end of the season, the players are starting to take stock of their year, starting with Sanyo Gutiérrez, who made so much talk about him. Since the start of the year, Sanyo has had a lot of trouble finding a permanent partner. The former teammate ofAgustín Tapia separated from Momo Gonzalez, Fernando Belasteguin and now plays with his nephew, Agustín Gutiérrez.

The 39-year-old spoke to the Spanish newspaper Sport and returned to this particular season.

The return of Belasteguin/Gutiérrez: “a mistake”

At the start of the season, Sanyo Gutiérrez had announced that he wanted “play the entire 2023 season with Bela“. However, it was necessary a short quarter for the two players to separate. At the time, Sanyo said: “with Bela we were born to be adversaries“. Belasteguin for his part had mentioned a “communication error” between Sanyo and him.

This week, Sanyo Gutiérrez returned to this aborted association with King Bela: “I think a bad decision at the beginning of the season, when the return with Bela didn't go well, led me to have several partners".

Belasteguin sanyo qatar major premier padel

This separation between Bela and Sanyo led to the formation of the pair Yanguas/Belasteguin et Gonzalez/Gutiérrez. The latter ended up separating during the season.

The association with Momo Gonzalez: “I could not allow Momo to play at her best”

With Momo Gonzalez, no more luck for The magician. Of this association which nevertheless caused a lot of disruption on the circuit, the results were not there. This gave rise to Sanyo a great frustration... "Last year, I won five titles and played ten finals. I find it difficult to accept that from one year to the next, I find myself making three finals and that I can end the year without a title“, he explained in September, shortly after his separation from Momo Gonzalez.

A separation for which he took a large part of the responsibility. He explains to the Sport newspaper that: “with Momo, we didn't have time to make the duo work“. At the start of the year, when he talked about finishing the season with Bela, it was a real desire on his part. Spend an entire season alongside the same player. One of the reasons which led to the end of the Gonzalez/Gutiérrez tandem: “It was much more difficult because we didn't know each other, we had never played together and we didn't have time to practice".

Gutierrez-Gonzalez-quarter-final-Vigo-WPT — Photo APO CABALLERO | Instagram APOFOTO

This separation, emanating from a real frustration of Sanyo, led to the end of Gonzalez/Gutiérrez and the beginning of Gutiérrez. Indeed, for this end of the season, Sanyo has decided to team up with his nephew, Agustín Gutiérrez.

The Gutiérrezes: a family affair

His association with Agustín had questioned. Alongside his nephew, The magician came out of the first eight pairs in the ranking. However, he declared: “I trust my nephew. I saw him play very well in Finland. I told him I wanted to finish the year with him and then we would see.” And it is clear that he was right, his association with Agustín works rather well.

They had the opportunity to play a final (lost to Coello and Tapia) and even knocked down Lebron and Galan. Proof that these two players can do great things together. “I ended up playing with my nephew, which was the best decision I made“, he told the Spanish newspaper this week.

Unfortunately for the Gutiérrezes, they will not be able to finish the season together. Agustin does not have enough points in the ranking to be able to play in the Barcelona Master Final. Sanyo will therefore have to play on the left, with Mike Yanguas.

What about 2024?

Apparently, this is the end of the Gutiérrez/Gutiérrez pair. Even if he remains quite vague on the subject, Sanyo does not seem set to start the 2024 season with Agustin… “I told him I was playing with him until December. When I asked him to play, the first thing I told him was that I didn't want him to leave his teammate, because, for 2024, I had already half-talked about it with another player".

But who is this mystery player? We have already mentioned this player and it would be… Paquito Navarro. A return more than six years later of this pair. But when we talk to him about it, The magician boot in touch. “That's what social media says. We will see after the Master, that will be when we announce it. Social media also sometimes makes mistakes."

In any case, in his interview for the newspaper AS, Alex Ruiz said "From what has been said, with the exception of the duo Sanyo and Paquito Navarro, who seem confirmed and assured, the others are all waiting. "

paquito and sanyo win the open of padel of valence

A way to maintain the mystery? Or are we wrong all along? Answer in a few weeks... One thing is certain about Sanyo, his desire to play does not weaken: “If I keep winning these matches against pairs fighting for the number one spot, why would I consider retiring? If anything, it pushes me to stay enthusiastic and keep looking for a way to continue to be competitive."

Gwenaelle Souyri

It was his brother who one day told him to accompany him on a track. padel, since then, Gwenaëlle has never left the court. Except when it comes to going to watch the broadcast of Padel Magazine, World Padel Tour… or Premier Padel…or the French Championships. In short, she is a fan of this sport.