Paquito and Di Nenno' s coach to Padel Alto: ”It took me by surprise”

Paquito Navarro and Martin Di Nenno break up after two years together. Their last tournament will be the Santander Open. Their joint coach Rodri Ovide now tells Padel Alto that it all came as a surprise but that things have been tense lately. 
— Martin and Paco had many sparks. I think both will play looser now, he says. 

Martin Di Nenno ends his collaboration with Paquito Navarro after two years together. The highlight for the pair was the 2021 fall season when the pair came close to taking over as the world's best pair from Alejandro Galan and Juan Lebron. 

Now their joint coach and newly appointed Argentinean national team captain, Rodri Ovide, tells Padel Alto that Di Nenno's decision was a surprise. But also that there has been tension in the team lately. 
 

Ovide, Di Nenno and Paquito. 

— It was not something we saw coming. It’s true that during the summer, there had been talking of separation, but at that moment, the decision was to stay together until the end of the year. It took me a bit by surprise.

Martin Di Nenno will now continue playing with Coki Nieto for the rest of the season. While Paquito Navarro will play two tournaments with Mike Yanguas and then switch positions to drive and play with Juan Tello. 

— I talked to both of them and offered to conclude the project, even if it is separately. The idea is to try not to leave them alone at this time and continue, even until the end of the year, and then each one can decide what they want to do.

He continues: 

— With Martin, I have already agreed that we will continue. With Paco, we agreed to talk after this tournament. First, we want to focus on Santander and then discuss what’s next.

”Martin and Paco had many sparks”

What can we expect from the pairings with Mike Yanguas and Coki Nieto?

— It´s two couples that will play with a massive illusion, the illusion of forming a new project, and it will eliminate the bad feelings they brought from the last tournaments. Because although there were good results on the court, Martin and Paco had many sparks. I think both will play looser, and I hope they both find their best version, which is good for padel and the show.

How does a padel coach manage when a project breaks up earlier than expected?

— The management of the coach is complex. The image of the padel coach is still very new. Team preparation is one thing that can be better; even a contract is still very new. In 99% of the cases, those who decide are the players, and if there is malaise or if any player doesn’t want to continue the project, no matter how much you want to unite, it is tough. There is still a long way to go in padel for the coach to be like the captain of the ship, and the players follow the project to death believing in the coach.

How does it affect you as a coach when a couple makes this kind of decision, and you are in the middle?

— It touches you a lot because I, as a coach, am committed to the project, and I don’t like it to end before the end of the season. Once the season is over, you can evaluate, draw conclusions and see whether or not to continue the following year... or if there is a possibility of doing better with other couples. We coaches are used to projects breaking down in the middle of the season or even before. We must go out with something new or wait until another couple or player calls us. We are used to it, but luckily I think that padel is going to change in that aspect, hopefully soon and everything can be more professional and team-based, above all.