After their superb victory against Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger in the quarter-finals of the Bordeaux P2, Martín Di Nenno and Paquito Navarro have finally reached the semi-finals of a tournament Premier PadelBut against Tapia/Coello, the challenge is still far too great.  

 For the Argentinian, this qualification puts an end to several months of frustration. For the Spaniard, it confirms that at 37, he can still compete with the best. The two men also discuss their shared progress, their vision of the game, and the conditions in Bordeaux. 

Interview conducted before the semi-final.

“This semi-final brings an end to a difficult period”

 Padel Magazine You've reached the semi-finals after a fourth consecutive quarter-final appearance. How do you view your progress? 

 Martín Di Nenno:  We are moving forward step by step.

Our first objective, when we started playing together, was simply to regularly reach the quarter-finals.

To dream of beating the four best pairs in the world, you first have to face them.

We have just reached our fourth consecutive quarter-final and, this time, we have managed to take it to the next level.

The conditions also helped us a bit. The track is slower, we had more time to build up play with the lob and develop our game.

Now we know that tomorrow, the number ones await us.

This will be a huge challenge.

Today, the first two pairs clearly dominate the circuit, both in terms of results and titles.

But we will continue to believe in our chances.

Hope is always the last thing you lose.

 Does this qualification mark the end of a difficult period? 

 Martín Di Nenno:  Yes, in a way.

It had been seven months since I had last reached a semi-final on Premier Padel.

In Rome and then in Valencia, I explained that I had set myself a personal challenge.

More than because of external criticism, it was a battle against myself.

I wanted to regain that consistency in the quarter-finals, and then finally break through that barrier.

Today, I can say that we have succeeded.

But this is only one step.

There are still a lot of tournaments left.

In ten days, there will already be a new competition.

It's perfectly possible to lose in the first round and start all over again.

This semi-final should simply give us even more motivation to work.

We need to continue to progress individually and as a team.

Two male padel players in turquoise outfits walk off a court with paddles as a crowd watches behind a net fence.
Martín Di Nenno: "We're moving forward step by step"; Paquito Navarro: "At 37, I still feel competitive"
Martín Di Nenno: "We're moving forward step by step"; Paquito Navarro: "At 37, I still feel competitive"

The track: an important element but…

 Do you feel you perform better on this type of slow track? Could you have beaten Lebrón and Augsburger on a fast track? 

 Martín Di Nenno: 

We've been playing on the circuit for so many years…

At first glance, yes, these types of conditions probably suit us better.

But it also depends heavily on the opponents.

Some teams take far more initiative.

Others, like us, prefer to build exchanges.

Throughout our careers, we have won on both fast and slow tracks.

And we also lost in the first round on both types of surfaces.

Today, we are having a very good tournament.

The first two matches were very solid.

Today we suffered more, which is normal in the quarter-finals.

But we are still here.

The next tournament might be slow too… and we could very well lose right away.

It's also a sport.

 Paquito, your wife and son were in the stands. Does that change anything? 

 Paquito Navarro:  Obviously.

Seeing my family in the stands always provides extra motivation.

My wife is always here.

In good times, but especially in the most difficult ones.

She supports me without ever wavering.

And then there's my son.

He is only two and a half years old.

He is still too young to understand what is happening.

But I would like him to be able to see pictures of his father playing one day.

That he keeps some memories of that time.

That's definitely an additional motivation.

Martín Di Nenno: "We're moving forward step by step"; Paquito Navarro: "At 37, I still feel competitive"
Martín Di Nenno: "We're moving forward step by step"; Paquito Navarro: "At 37, I still feel competitive"
Martín Di Nenno: "We're moving forward step by step"; Paquito Navarro: "At 37, I still feel competitive"

 The Bordeaux crowd gave you tremendous support. Some spectators even shouted during a crucial point. Could that be unsettling for you? 

 Paquito Navarro:  Honestly… I was so focused that I don't even remember the point you're talking about.

Neither does Martín, for that matter!

We are fortunate to feel very appreciated everywhere we play.

Sometimes I even think it's a bit undeserved… it's probably because people don't know us well enough! (laughs)

But more seriously, the public brings us a great deal.

Like my family.

He pushes us to fight for every ball.

We always try to transform this energy into motivation.

Never under pressure.

 At 37, you're still beating players like Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger. After a difficult start to the season, did you ever doubt you'd still be able to experience nights like these? 

 Paquito Navarro:  No. I still feel competitive.

It's true that against the number ones, they probably have to be having an off day and I have to play my best padel to have a real chance.

But I still believe in my ability.

Something special happens with Martín.

I wouldn't say that we are better or worse than with other partners.

Simply…

We know each other perfectly.

We understand padel in the same way.

And that brings a great deal of serenity to the field.

This peace of mind makes a real difference.

Yes, I am 37 years old.

But I still enjoy it just as much.

I still feel capable of competing.

I just hope this semi-final won't be the last.

Why not dream of a final?

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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