Sanyo Gutiérrez: "Looking back, I think I could have been a better partner"

In an interview given à Sports , Sanyo Gutiérrez He spoke candidly about his career, his transition after reaching the top, and his approach to teamwork. At 41, the Argentinian is moving forward with rare clarity: he still has the desire, but he's no longer fooling himself.

A new season, the same desire

Sanyo starts 2026 with what it considers its primary fuel: the illusion of starting over As long as she is there, he continues to impose on himself the preparation, the sessions, the running, everything that wears down the body and the mind.

"There's something very important: I don't lose the illusion of starting. The day I no longer have it, that will be the moment when my mind and body ask me for rest."

This desire doesn't erase reality: today, he knows he's no longer in the same position as when he was aiming for the top. And he accepts it better.

"I know where I stand... I'm in a different place than where I've been my entire career."

The transition after number 1

In the interview, Sanyo reflects on a period many champions experience but rarely discuss: the moment when the race for number one slips away for good. The hardest part, he says, was the post-Tapia era, when he continued to demand the same level of excellence as before, even though the dynamics had changed.

"I wondered: how can I go from one year playing in semi-finals, finals, titles... and then in March of the following year no longer fighting for it? This change was very difficult."

He takes responsibility for this shock: he sometimes displaced this frustration onto his partners, expecting a level from them that they did not necessarily (yet) have at that time.

Agustin Tapia Sanyo Gutierrez WPT menorca Open 2021 debut

"I could have been a better partner."

This is the heart of his testimony: Sanyo acknowledges human errors. Not in the investment or the work itself, but in the approach. Too direct, too demanding, not "careful" enough on a daily basis, especially when things weren't going so well.

“Mentally, my worst moment was when Momo (Gonzalez) took it. I was heavily criticized because of him, but I wasn't doing it out of spite… I was demanding the exceptional level I had achieved with other partners.”

And when he talks about what he would change, he doesn't beat around the bush.

"If I could go back? In terms of attitude, yes: I could have been a better teammate. In terms of the game and the work, I wouldn't change a thing."

Belasteguín, the mirror and the engine

Sanyo also mentions Fernando Belasteguín, both as an opponent, a partner… and a point of reference. He recounts a very personal moment: the last time he cried was during Bela's last match, already seeing himself, one day, in that same scenario.

"The last time I cried... was the day of Belasteguín's last match. I saw myself reflected in him."

In the same breath, he explains how Bela forced him to bring out his best version: facing these dominant pairs, often built around a left-hander, forced him to transcend himself.

"Belasteguín helped me reach my personal best. If I hadn't worked the way I did, I probably wouldn't have won any titles."

Padel, a sport for two… sometimes unfair

Sanyo emphasizes a point he's been hammering home with age: you can play "your" match, be on top form, and still lose. Because in padel, there are two players. And if one of them is off their game, everything changes.

"I can play the best match of my life... but if my partner didn't sleep well or has a leg injury, I lose. It's a sport that takes two."

Over time, he says he's come to understand that managing a partner isn't just about tactics: it also requires attention, connection, and trust. And it's precisely in this area that he regrets sometimes lacking flexibility.

Still working with Gonzalo Alfonso

Regarding the present, the Argentinian talks about his duo with Gonza Alfonso without grand announcements. No hammered-home ranking objective, rather a guiding principle: stay in the right group, progress, scrape together results, and see how far it can go.

"We haven't set any specific ranking goals. The key is to try and stay in the top 16 pairs... and then go and fight for it."

He also highlights the difficulty of transitioning from a dominant status on another circuit to the reality of Premier Padel : start “from scratch”, accept the scale, work.

"He is aware of what he has done and the reality now. He needs to come back here and row again... work to improve and climb the rankings."
Credit Premier Padel

A circuit that's too predictable?

Finally, Sanyo offers a very direct assessment of the state of the circuit: according to him, the top two pairs are currently "above average," with too large a gap. He admires them, but he wants more suspense.

"Yes, they're at an unattainable level... We need those behind to push harder, for there to be more surprises, otherwise the sport becomes boring."

And on Chingotto, he adds nuance without diminishing him: a huge player, but confronted with a historical reality of modern padel, often dominated by "right-handed/left-handed" pairs.

"Chingotto plays with a phenomenon, and he is a phenomenon himself... but history has shown that the dominant pair is often a right-handed and a left-handed player."

A champion who tells his story without makeup

What this interview with... mainly reveals SportsThis is the image of a player who has experienced the highest level, who knows the price… and who is finally willing to confront his weaknesses. Sanyo is no longer trying to be what he used to be. He is trying to be fair, on the court, and with others.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!