Ale Galan exclusive to Padel Alto: ”All great sports grow through a strong federation”
Alejandro Galan finally managed to stand together with Juan Lebron at the top of the rankings when we summed up the past season. After a break mainly focusing on the conflict between the tours, this year's season is now starting again.
Exclusively for Padel Alto, Ale Galan talks about the double tours, the future of the sport, the tragic death of his uncle during the Alicante Open, and why he lived without furniture for six months last year.
MADRID.
Today's training session has just ended for Alejandro Galan and Juan Lebron at DreamFit Padel in Madrid. To get in as good a matching shape as possible for the Miami Open, they played outside against the newly formed pair of Javi Ruiz and Lucho Capra.
— It's different. This year the pre-season is much shorter. But that's just a good thing, to start the season earlier. We are prepared for a tough season with many pairs keeping a high level. Juan and I enjoy and work hard together, says Ale Galan after the training session to Padel Alto.
Last year, Alejandro Galan and Juan Lebron managed to defend their position as number one in the world. But after a dazzling finish to the season, Martin Di Nenno and Paquito Navarro came close to taking over the throne.
”That was our goal.”
It is precisely this competition where they managed to defend the title. The Master Final in Madrid arouses the most emotions in Alejandro Galan.
— Yes, of course. We came first and did it in Madrid, my home. That was our goal, he says.
Otherwise, it was a season where a lot happened for the 25-year-old Spaniard.
— It was a season with a lot of changes on the court. It was slightly different, but we were motivated all the time.
It wasn't just on the court that things happened. Off the court, he found love with the famous Spanish actress Andrea Duro.
— A lot of things happened. I moved met an amazing person. It was a huge change in my life. To take time for another person and keep your highest possible level.
The move didn't quite work out as the Madrid son had planned. During the interview, he seems to take it in stride but at the same time tells us how hard it was during the season.
— There was a company that offered to deliver furniture to my home. But due to the covid-situation, it would take a month. But a month turned into six months. All I had was a bed and stuff for the kitchen. It was hard when you have no place to relax.
”I returned the same day to my hotel at 4 am”.
In addition, the memory of the Alicante Open in April has stuck with the world's best padel player. During the competition, his uncle tragically passed away.
— It was tough. I'm very close to my family, and I need them. I got the news, took my car to Madrid, and spent time with my family. I returned the same day to my hotel at 4 am. But despite everything, we managed to play very well and won all the matches in two sets, says a somewhat surprised Alejandro Galan.
In the final, they easily beat Alex Ruiz and Franco Stupaczuk 6-0, 6-4.
— It wasn't the best conditions for us, but I had a lot of support from my team, Juan, and our trainer Mariano.
”We are all professionals and act professionally.”
In addition to being the world's top player, Alejandro Galan has become the spokesperson for all players on the professional tour, serving as President of the Padel Players Association.
The PPA was formed last autumn, and since then, the association has been very busy and received a lot of attention. It has criticized the World Padel Tour while at the same time taking a stand in favor of the new FIP tour backed by Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
— I believe that both PPA and FIP are the future of padel and that we will make the sport grow globally. All players want to grow, and the reason the association was born is to defend the players' interests, Alejandro Galan says.
This week the World Padel Tour starts with the Miami Open. Despite the Association's strong criticism of the WPT, he feels motivated to play it, and the FIP Tour's ten events throughout the year.
— We are all professionals and act professionally. We want to defend our position. We will do everything in every match and every tournament. There are different organizers, but Juan and I have to focus on defending our number one in the rankings.
He also doesn't want to talk about the problems the Association has pointed out with the World Padel Tour.
”All the players are well prepared for it.”
— No. I don't want to talk about the problems with the WPT. We have to respect our contracts, and now, through the association, we have decided to work on a path where it will be worked to globalize padel with the federation. I think all great sports grow through a strong federation that can grow the sport worldwide.
So this year, there will be double tours for the world's padel elite. They are contracted until the end of 2023 by the World Padel Tour, which has set a busy schedule for 2022. In addition, there is now the FIP tour starting at the end of March in Doha. They themselves have announced that there will be at least ten competitions this season.
Will that be too many competitions?
— Hopefully, not, he laughs.
— No, but it's a tour with an exciting set-up for the future. And then the World Padel Tour, where we have a busy schedule. But I think all the players are well prepared for it, Alejandro Galan says.
