Pablo Llamas and his comeback after hell: "I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel"

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At 23 years old, Pablo Llamas (October 13, 2002, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain) has all the time in the world to reach the heights he once saw. Considered one of the great gems of Spanish tennis, he was forced to live through his bitterest moment in the prime of his professional career: after winning the Challenger El Espinar in 2023, making it to the quarterfinals of the Estoril ATP in 2024, and almost breaking into the top-100, a serious injury to his right wrist forced him to undergo surgery.

Dreams and hopes forced to be put on hold. It was time to recharge and renew his energy away from the courts: while his ranking plummeted, and Pablo worked tirelessly in the gym, the Jerez native made decisions that took a 180-degree turn in his career. A change of scenery after moving to TEC Carles Ferrer Salat in Barcelona allowed him to overcome the discomfort that still plagued his wrist post-operation; however, a piece of advice from Carlos Alcaraz and an overwhelming inner voice led him back home, with his people, the ones he needed to relaunch a career that still has many chapters to write.

Pablo Llamas opens up and reflects on the harshness of professional tennis, his time off the courts, the importance of Alcaraz in his career, and his dreams as a professional tennis player

Guided by Juan Pablo Cañas (his coach) and David Ayuela (his new physical trainer and former junior Davis Cup captain who he won with along with Carlos Alcaraz and Mario González, teaming up with Carlitos to secure the decisive point in the final in 2018), Pablo embarked on a journey back to the courts that reached its peak in two top-level events.

The first, Roland Garros 2025: he entered the qualifying rounds outside the top-800, using a protected ranking... and, with little preparation, made it to his first Grand Slam main draw, saving match point in the first round against Alex Bolt and defeating Dalibor Svrcina (current top-100) and Vilius Gaubas. He fell to Alejandro Davidovich in his first five-set match, a beautiful Andalusian derby that served as a reward after the ordeal he endured.

He repeated the feat at the US Open, this time falling in the first round to Pablo Carreño, proving it was no fluke. Pablo made a meteoric leap and ended the year on the cusp of the top-200, ready to return to action in the Australian Open qualifying rounds. However, before reaching this point, many doubts and fears surface in this conversation, where he reveals that he "didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel" before wrist surgery, shares an unforgettable anecdote with Carlos Alcaraz in the Grand Slam locker rooms, and makes clear what his biggest dream is: "I would like to represent Spain at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, alongside Carlos Alcaraz. It's a dream for me".

An interview carefully conducted, intimate, and moving. Enjoy it as much as I have, and don't forget to leave your Like on YouTube if you see fit.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pablo Llamas y su vuelta tras el infierno: "No veía la luz al final del túnel"