The Spanish coach on the selection of Ruiz: “A player I trust”

With just days left before the Spanish national team heads to Qatar for the Padel World Championship, the squad selection has sparked plenty of reactions, particularly concerning players who were not chosen. One player who has made the cut is Alex Ruiz, and now coach Juanjo Gutiérrez explains his reasoning behind the decision.

The Spanish men's team will consist of the following players:

Men’s team:

• Arturo Coello
• Alejandro Galan
• Juan Lebron
• Francisco Navarro
• Alejandro Ruiz
• Coki Nieto
• Miguel Yanguas
• Jon Sanz

The absence of players such as Javi Garrido, Momo Gonzalez, Pablo Cardona, and Edu Alonso has drawn the most attention. Instead, Gutiérrez has chosen to back the Nieto/Sanz pairing and include Alex Ruiz in the squad.

Ruiz has had a difficult season, only reaching the quarterfinals of Premier Padel events when all top players were competing. Now, Gutiérrez offers his perspective on Ruiz’s selection.

— This decision must be understood from two perspectives: sports performance and team dynamics. From a sports perspective, when Lebron plays on the backhand side, we need a player on the forehand side, and Álex has shown me that he handles the pressure of playing for the national team better than many others. Emotionally, Álex contributes a lot of experience and strengthens the team's unity. Has he had a tough year? Yes, but Álex is a special player who I trust, he said in an interview with Relevo.

He continued:

— There’s not only tension between Galán and Lebrón; Yanguas has also had some issues with his teammates, but those are starting to ease. That's why I said that a World Championship, competing for your country, can always help. If you're going through a rough patch, these kinds of high-pressure situations can reset you. That’s why Álex Ruiz brings so much experience and unity on a personal level.