Members of the Herbalife Paddle Team, and known in the world of paddle as 'The Beast', Agustín is a true warrior who has made the claw, the delivery and the generosity in the effort some of the main characteristics of his game. Do not miss the first installment of this interview, in which we can get to know you more closely.
Padel World Press .- He is one of the most spectacular and aggressive players in the Professional Circuit. A tireless fighter, he only knows how to surrender to the maximum each time he enters a track and that quality, which he shares with his partner Tito Allemandi, has led them to be one of those pairs that all rivals want to avoid.
With great enthusiasm in the new stage he has undertaken in his professional career, the one from La Plata tells us how the first sensations are with his new partner, what is most surprising about Tito and what he expects from the growth and evolution of this sport.
In just a few tournaments, Tito and you have shown that you can be a very rocky couple. Did you expect to have stepped on a semi-final in such a short time?
The truth is that we have worked very hard to arrive in the best conditions this season and for us it has been wonderful to reach a semi-final in just four tournaments. We want to continue in this line, giving the best of us in each match to get as far as possible in the Championships that we have left to play.
You play again with that aggressiveness that has characterized you since your arrival in Spain ... Have you regained the confidence and security that you seemed to lose a few years ago?
In the sporting career of any player there are always good moments and others not so much ... That is why it has been key to work conscientiously on my game with the aim of improving every day and recovering feelings. The fact that I have now reached the semi-finals helps me to regain confidence and security in my game. I am trying very hard to always be in the best condition.
In 2015, you closed the campaign playing at a high level with Cristian Gutiérrez. What led you to separate your paths?
We both really enjoyed our time as a couple on the track. I was lucky to have a great player like Cristian on my side, from whom I learned a lot and also with whom I had fun in every training and tournament. We reached a high level in our game, but we considered that it was time to face new challenges and take each our own path. I am sure that this year you will reap many successes with your new partner.
When your union with Tito Allemandi was confirmed, the fans were clear that you were going to be a very tough and competitive duo ... How did the possibility of your partner form arise?
We talked about the possibility of playing together after Tito got in touch with me and, truthfully, we were both very excited to share the track in 2016. He is a player who looks a lot like me in certain things and with whom I share many values. I am very excited to share this new stage with Tito because I know that we are both going to work very hard to get many satisfactions this year.
What is most surprising about Tito, now that you know him more closely thanks to your workouts?
Tito surprises me day by day. He is a fighter by nature. As a person I did not know him much and what I can say is that he has surprised me very pleasantly, that he is a great guy with clear things. As a paddle player, I was surprised that we are very similar in terms of responsibility and daily commitment. We both work in a very similar way. It is also playing at an impressive level and every time I enter the track I am calm because, although things can sometimes not go as we want, we both know that we will have done everything possible to be in the best conditions. I feel a very big respect for my partner.
How is your general training routine? How do you prepare two of the most combative players on the Circuit?
Our routine usually starts with paddle training about two hours or so. Then it's time to do physical and, between both trainings, a good mid-morning feeding to be able to perform at maximum, and also spend another two hours approximately.
After lunch, I teach… About three or four hours depending on the day. After this, some days of the week I go to the physio which helps me a lot to keep me without pain or discomfort. And also one day we work with the psychologist, which is as important as food, paddle and physical training ... I go home in the afternoon in general and play a bit of relaxation, hahaha
In my case, I have the help that the team of nutritionists and experts from Herbalife, as well as its products. I take nutrition into account in my professional career because I believe it is essential to improve my performance every day.
Surely the fact of having been in four quarterfinals and a semifinal (Valencia) so far has been an important reinforcement for you ... What can we expect from Tito and Agustín from now on?
We want to continue giving the best of ourselves in each game, improving every day in our training and also in the tournaments. We would like to give great surprises this season and raise a title. We are sure that we will do everything in our power to achieve them and, also, to make the fans enjoy in a season that is very exciting.
There is a lot of talk about the equality that exists in the Circuit ... Will we see a more 'competed' campaign or will it be dominated again by Bela and Lima?
It is indisputable that Bela and Lima are two great players who have shown each year why they are among the best in the world. Its quality, its good game ... They are beyond doubt and all these qualities, together with many others, make them one of the most difficult couples to beat on the courts. However, this does not mean that we are noticing how other pairs stand out in the Circuit and that they can play Bela and Lima face to face. I think this year we are going to see very contested matches.
You were one of the participants in the first WPT Exhibition in Rome, where you reached the semifinals ... What would you highlight from that experience? How have you seen the situation of paddle in the capital of Italy?
The experience of playing in Rome, before the Italian public, has been fantastic. I like to see how more and more the public there gets involved in the paddle matches, how the attendees increase and also how this sport is becoming more and more relevant internationally. I would love to repeat the experience in Italy.
The paddle has grown and evolved a lot thanks to the World Pádel Tour ... What would be the most significant advances that have been experienced in this sport in recent years?
I think one of them is that every time we see more professionals on the slopes, people who maybe played for pleasure before the paddle but who had not considered dedicating themselves to it but now have decided to make the leap to tournaments. In addition, the fact that there are more and more fans who attend our games and who are interested in this sport is something that makes the paddle grow every year.
What do you think still should be improved to continue making paddle an increasingly professional and recognized sport?
Little by little we are getting that the paddle is a sport with a greater visibility in our country, that more and more people are signing up to play a game among friends, for example, or that more people come to the tournaments in which we participate. We have to continue strengthening these lines of action, helping all those who want to become professionals and also promoting society to know our sport better.
Stay very attentive to our pages because in the next few days we will show you the second part of this interview.
Do you know how were your beginnings in the paddle or what memories do you have of your time in Argentina? All these questions and many more will have their answer in Padel World Press.
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