The current tennis is torture, you have to demolish your opponent

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🎾 Soriano Barrera/Tobon vs Arias/Zeballos

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I have conducted nearly 200 interviews in the last ten years, but none like this one. Strolling through the Trofeo Conde de Godó, I spot a more intense training session than usual on Court 3. Daniel Galán and Tomás Martín Etcheverry are the main figures, although my focus is on Horacio de la Peña (Buenos Aires, 1966), currently the coach of the Argentine. My intention is to sit down with him, talk about his career, his time on the sidelines, or his experience as a tournament promoter. However, 'Pulga' has other plans.

As if we were on La Revuelta de David Broncano, the interview unfolds entirely standing, from the first to the last question. 'Start throwing me questions as I go in and out of the court,' proposes the Argentine. At times it seems surreal to me, but I appreciate that Horacio offers me a slot in a schedule that does not allow for improvisation. 'Fire! Fire!,' exclaims the coach at each forehand his pupil connects. An interruption by the notebook of Punto de Break, packed with questions for a man who has gone through all possible stages within this sport.

You won here in Barcelona.

I won in doubles with Diego Nargiso in 1991. We defeated Becker and Jelen in the final.

And your first individual title was in Marbella.

That's correct.

What a connection you have with Spain.

And with Catalonia, especially; my mom is Catalan. When I played my first Conde de Godó in 1984, I passed the previous stage and in the first round I faced Pepe Higueras. I won that match, and the next day I was offered Spanish nationality to start playing for Spain.

And what happened?

I got scared, I got scared […] I didn't accept, of course, but it was a shame; it would have been a great moment.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “El tenis actual es una tortura, tienes que demoler a tu rival”