Ale Galan: ”I don't think the crowd behaved well”
ALICANTE. Right after Ale Galan's successful weekend and WPT title in Alicante, Padel Alto had a chat with the big star.
He talked about the tough weekend marked by a death in the family, about his reaction to the boos against his partner Juan Lebron in Madrid, and his relationship with Juan Lebron in general.A mental inferno marked 24-year-old Alejandro Galan's World Padel Tour weekend in Alicante. The second of the season. A close relative of his passed away on Friday, the day the quarter-finals are played. On the same day, Galan/Lebron pulverized legend, Juan Martin Diaz in a pair with Jorge Nieto by 6-3, 6-0.
Afterward, he was clearly moved, and when things broke for him during the subsequent interview, he was supported by his partner Juan Lebron.
After that match, Galan left Alicante, went home to Madrid to be with his family, and then back to Alicante.
And as he did. Especially in the semi-final win over Federico Chingotto and Juan Tello, but also in the final win over Alex Ruiz and Franco Stupaczuk, Galan played at an insanely high level and managed to keep the terrible things that had happened off the court.
– We had a good tournament, but it was tough for me because I lost a family member. We played very well, and I managed to keep those thoughts away and play at a high level, Ale Galan tells PadelDirekt.
The weekend took a lot out of him mentally, he says.
– I tried not to think about it because then I would have lost all concentration. I just focused on the matches and the joy of playing.
Did you consider not playing at all?
– No, I couldn't drop out of the tournament. We wanted to play and dedicate the win to my family.
Did you see the weekend as revenge after the failed opening tournament in Madrid?
– No, for us, it was not revenging in that way. We have a good relationship with "Stupa" (Franco) and "Alex" (Ruiz). But of course, we lost to them in Madrid, this time we did better.
During the first tournament in Madrid, in the pair's quarter-final loss to Ruiz/Stupaczuk, Galan's partner Juan Lebron was booed by the crowd. Something that seemed to affect him strongly and game-wise, he was not at all recognizable.
– It was very too difficult for us. Juan had a hard time. I don't think the crowd behaved well there. We said something after the tournament, and in Alicante, it was much better.
There have been media whispers that Ale Galan is fed up with Juan Lebron and considers separation. If you scroll the forums after Lebron/Galan matches, followers of padel often believe that Galan should find another partner.
Someone with, to put it mildly, better body language and energy on the court. Galan does not share that view.
– Just fine, we have a good relationship. We've known each other for seven or eight years, and we're good friends even off the track. We have good play and communication on the court.
After the tournament, Galan was also named Player of the Tournament by the World Padel Tour. With the title "Galantic," they justified it like this on their site:
"It was his first final of the season and a tough tournament for the Madrid player due to the death of a relative, but Alejandro Galan showed that he is number one. The quality and character of Galan were once again decisive in winning a title, the first of the season for Lebron/Galan".
The next World Padel Tour tournament will be held in Vigo.
– It will probably be a tournament similar to the one in Alicante. I think it will be a good tournament for the audience, concluding world number two.
