Álex Ruiz Speaks After Receiving Wild Card: "We're Only Human"

Álex Ruiz and Juan Tello were granted a wildcard for the Madrid Premier Padel after failing to meet the registration deadline. The decision has been met with criticism from various quarters. Now, Alex Ruiz has spoken out about the situation.

Alex Ruiz and Juan Tello missed the registration for the Madrid Premier Padel. However, they didn't miss out on the tournament altogether, as the FIP granted a wildcard to the fifth-seeded pair.

The decision has drawn criticism. Spanish player Álvaro Cepero called it an unfair decision that disadvantaged other players.

"They missed the registration deadline twice. The first one was on Friday, and then the organizers extended it for another three days until Sunday, and they forgot again. They managed to get a wildcard, but due to their points, they don't qualify for a wildcard spot. The unjust part is that Lucho (Capra) and Maxi (Sánchez) are left out of the seeded positions," said the Spaniard in an interview with Padel Alto.

"We're only human."

Now, the player himself, Alex Ruiz, has spoken about the situation to the Spanish newspaper Marca:

"We're only human, playing in two circuits, where one of them closes registrations one hour before, and the other, three weeks before. Suddenly, it became two weeks before; they changed a date... In this case, we missed it, and we approached the FIP to see if we could enter in a completely legal manner," declared Ruiz to Marca.

He continued:

"I believe any other player in my position, with so many years in the circuits and so many years of experience, would have done the same. It wouldn't have been fair to not ask for that wildcard and be left out of the tournament due to a ‘human mistake’. I am very grateful to the promoter of the Madrid Premier Padel because he welcomed me with open arms; it's a very kind gesture, and I can't imagine the fifth seed out of such a prestigious tournament”.

Following the tournament invitation, Alex Ruiz and Juan Tello reached the round of 16 in the Madrid P1, where they were defeated by Nieto and Sanz with a score of 7/6 7/5.