Not only tennis. Meeting Alejandro Galán, the world padel champion

What is victory for you? And what is the most beautiful (or important) one you have achieved in your career? It is the highest reward for all the work and effort of an entire team. It is also the greatest satisfaction on a professional level. We have achieved important victories in emblematic places for the sport such as Roland Garros or the Foro Italico but, without a doubt, the world champion title in pairs achieved in Kuwait last November has a special meaning for me.

Big Bang Unico Black Magic con cassa in ceramica nera e movimento cronografico flyback a carica automatica(22.300 euro).

A success you achieved with Federico Chingotto: how do you achieve a perfect alchemy playing as a pair? At the base there is work, training and, above all, the will to pursue the same goals: the team's interests come before personal ones. And then, mutual trust is also crucial.

On court your position is on the left side and your game is characterised by physical power, backhand volleys (your main shot) and smash. Do you think you have technically reached everything a player of your calibre can achieve? No, because I still have room for improvement. In the question you highlighted what are the strengths of my game, but there are many others that I need to work on to become a more complete player. I would be wrong if I didn't think I could improve.

How do you train on a day-to-day basis? Now (in January, ndr.) we are in pre-season and training involves a double session. During the year we continue to train, but the intensity is reduced because there are more recovery sessions between tournaments.

Padel is a very fast sport: in addition to the technical and physical part, do you also train your mind to stay focused during matches? Of course. In any high-level sport, mental and psychological preparation is as important as everything else. The standards required are very high, which is why my psychologist Itziar Eraña plays a key role in my team.

From Hublot's friend of the brand: how important is time in your sport? It's fundamental because it gives order to our lives and manages everything: training, rest, etc. The day only has 24 hours and you have to know how to make the most of them.

Tra le nuove versioni di Big Bang Unico lanciate quest’anno da Hublot c’è questa con cassa in King Gold 18 carati, lunetta in ceramica e movimento cronografico flyback a carica automatica (38.900 euro).

How important is it for you to be part of this watch brand family? I am very proud of it. We share values such as audacity, innovation and exclusivity. That's why I identify a lot with what a brand like Hublot represents.

How and why did you get into padel? I discovered it when my parents and I moved to an apartment complex that had a dedicated court. The children played there thinking it was a small tennis court.

What are the main characteristics of this sport that made you love it? It is a lot of fun and I got into it straight away. In addition, my older sister also played it and very soon she became a professional player. Having her as a reference encouraged me to follow in her footsteps.

What is the secret of padel's success, given that it now has millions of players worldwide and is constantly growing? Padel is a very social and fun sport that can be played from childhood to old age. I think it has ample room for growth worldwide for these reasons.

Alejandro Galán indossa il modello Square Bang Unico Titanium di Hublot (25.900 euro). Lo scorso novembre è diventato campione del mondo vincendo la Fip World Cup Pairs a Kuwait City insieme a al suo compagno di squadra Federico Chingotto.

Do you play other sports in your spare time? I like to play football or tennis. But I don't play them often to avoid injuries: in my case it is more advisable to play board games (laughs, ndr.)..

About football, it is well known that you are a big Real Madrid fan. Who is your favourite player of all time? Zinedine Zidane. For me Zizou combined elegance and magic with the ball. I have always admired him and, besides, he does quite well with padel...

Padel will probably become an Olympic discipline in Brisbane 2032: what do you think? It would be the realisation of the dream of everyone who has ever played the sport. I wish I could play in Brisbane, but in 2032 I will already be 36 years old (laughs, ndr.)!