Álvaro Cepero with Padel Alto: "Galán's resignation is cowardly"

Following Álvaro Cepero's publications regarding irregularities in the registrations for the Madrid Premier Padel, Padel Alto conducted an interview with the player, who, as usual, spoke candidly about several issues.

Alvaro Cepero is a player who has always stood out for speaking up, often controversially, expressing his point of view.

Earlier this week, the Spanish player made some posts on his social media addressing irregularities in the Madrid Premier Padel player lists, with some pairs being registered after the deadline.

Padel Alto held an exclusive interview with the player, in which he discussed corruption at the highest levels of the global padel and his disagreements with the PPA.

P.A: What was the issue with the Madrid Premier Padel player lists?

- What happened is that one pair missed the registration deadline twice. Friday was the first date, and then the organisation postponed it for three more days until Sunday, and they forgot again. They were still given a Wild Card, but since they have points, they don't occupy a Wild Card spot, and the unfair part is that Lucho and Maxi are left out of the seedings based on rankings. Couples disappear, and others from an international circuit list suddenly appear, yesterday they were on the list, and today they're not, that's not professionalism.

P.A: Can you reveal which pair was?

- Tello and Alex Ruiz.

"At the end of the day, World Padel Tour wasn't so bad"

P.A: In your social media posts, you mentioned corruption. By whom?

- By the FIP. They are the ones who, at five in the afternoon with registrations closed, put them on the list. They are important players, seeded players, I understand that. But close the registration, two hours pass, and they put them on the list as if nothing had happened.

P.A: Has this happened in World Padel Tour as well?

- No, at least not recently. Myself and Josete Rico in Vigo were left out. They (WPT) surely have done other things, but not that. Everyone makes mistakes, that's clear, but all we can see now is that, in the end, World Padel Tour wasn't so bad.

P.A: What is your current relationship with World Padel Tour?

- It's good. Even though I signed, I tried to register through the application and couldn't, so that's a point in favor of WPT. At no point did they say, "Look, this guy signed, let's let it slide." Absolutely not. The circuit has harmed us for many years with prizes and other things, but in the end, everyone fights for their own interests.

"Galán's resignation comes late"

Cepero is skeptical about the circuit change from World Padel Tour to Premier Padel. For the Spanish player, the actions could have been carried out differently, so he disagrees with the PPA's management.

- In the end, they changed for the "petrodollars," and well... now they are playing on a circuit where they don't have banking guarantees. If next year, five months pass and they decide that (Premier Padel) is no longer viable, I don't know what they will do. We have been with World Padel Tour for over 10 years; it's a matter of trajectory and security. After what happened, we should have solved the problems with them, but in the end, eight or ten players didn't want to and created this whole movement. I support the association, but not how it is managed. 

P.A: What do you think of Galán's resignation?

- It's late, and in my opinion, it's a cowardly move considering everything that's happening. We're about to find out which circuit remains, which one goes away, and all those things. It might seem trivial, but summer is coming with vacations, and before we know it, it's October/November. Contracts with WPT end on December 31st, and now, when there's so much chaos, he decides to leave. 

"I left because I want nothing to do with it" 

P.A: What is your current relationship with the PPA?

- It's nonexistent. I left because I want nothing to do with it. I support the association, yes, but not the people who manage it and how they do it—the lawyer and the people in positions of presidency and such. For me, it's an association tied to the circuit, not to the players. An association linked by force to QSI or Premier. Let's see if Pablo Lima brings some order in this regard; if they do, I will congratulate them. Otherwise, the association will never have any weight.