Padel at Roland Garros, Lebron and Galan: “We are here dreaming of Nadal. And we also want to play at Wimbledon”

Dark blue is on loan, but it still intrigues and bewitches, also because Philippe Chatrier has always been red. Not this time. “Now it’s up to the padel and his fields”. Juan Lebron and Ale Galan, the number one of the circuit, bring out the best smile to hide a little pressure. If you are Spanish and play in Paris, you cannot avoid the comparison with Nadal. And at Roland Garros there is a little bit of Rafa in every corner. A statue at the entrance, his name scattered everywhere, photos of him along the corridors to access the stadium: “Winning here, for two Spaniards like us, would be more than a dream”. So, en garde. In Paris on the Philippe Chatrier and the other five fields set up ad hoc, the third Major of the Premier Padel will be played after Doha and Rome, the new world circuit parallel to the World Padel Tour.

Galan, Lebron. You are the couple to beat.
“Winning in Rome was fabulous, the audience was fantastic. I hope it will be the same in Paris as well. We remember a sold out Grand Stand Arena and the liberating scream after the last point, against Di Nenno and Navarro. We are here to win. still”.

Your secret?
“We will not reveal it! Seriously, the head. Improving every day, training to the maximum, thinking positively. As we always say, winning helps to win. And then playing where Rafa dominated is an extra stimulus”.

What does it mean, as Spaniards, to be here?
Galan: “I still don’t believe it, before coming here I saw the Philippe Chatrier set up for the padel, with the field in the center, and I got goosebumps. ‘But then it’s all true’, I thought. ‘time to play here, I’m impatient. I hope we can talk about padel as we talk about Nadal and the great tennis players. ”
Lebron: “I still remember the first Roland Garros won by Rafa. I was 10 and I was at home with my family. He had long hair, a white headband and a green shirt. I remember it like it was yesterday. He defeated Mariano Puerta in 4 sets. And from there he never stopped winning “.

Is there a bit of pressure, then? “That’s normal, but no fear. We are here to try to write the history of this sport, where that of tennis was written”.

We have seen the padel at the Forum and at Roland Garros. Is the next stop Wimbledon?
Galan: “Maybe. It would be a dream.” Lebron: “Incredible yes, but I want to play on the grass eh”.