The change that explains everything: Landaluce reveals the key to his improvement after Miami

Jose Morón | 12 Apr 2026 | 13.56

The change that explains it all: Landaluce reveals the key to his improvement after Miami. Photo: Landaluce

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Martín Landaluce arrives at the Barcelona Open convinced that he is on the right track in 2026. The Madrilenian has made a significant leap in quality this year and is very close to entering the Top 100, which will allow him to start dreaming of more.

Upon his arrival in Barcelona, Tintín speaks with the journalists in what will be his preview before facing one of the top favorites for the title there, Lorenzo Musetti.

Feelings upon arrival

I arrive in Barcelona with much enthusiasm, at a high level, and with good confidence. I have been performing very well in several tournaments. All the work has been put on the table, it has come together, and I am very happy, eager to play on Tuesday. I have a tough match against Musetti and I am looking forward to giving my all in front of a great crowd, playing at home, which is something that excites me.

Mental management when things don't go well

I believe this is one of the most difficult parts of this sport and I suppose in life in general. When you put in a lot of work and do things very well but sometimes things don't go as you want, it can be frustrating. However, I think the best approach there is to redefine what you are looking for. Because in the end, if your goals or your focus are a bit off, you won't value the work as much as you should. I think we have approached it with a lot of patience and clear objectives. Thanks to that, I believe we have proceeded calmly and now things are starting to go very well. We are pleased with how we are handling things.

Where Landaluce's mental breakthrough occurred

Everything was reflected in Miami, but in the weeks leading up, there was steady progress. We made some technical changes in the team and they improved significantly. There is no single key. We try to keep doing things equally well all the time, and it's true that when those tough matches, which you narrowly miss out on winning at certain tournaments, start happening, I think confidence increases significantly. And in that week, it started to happen, and there isn't much more to it, but I believe the work was there, the level was increasing, and that week it all came together, and from there, I think confidence has increased significantly.

The hardships of professionalism

There are many people who want to pursue this, who are giving their all throughout their lives, from the moment they wake up until they sleep, and there are many things required to make small leaps. Sometimes, people want those leaps to be too big, which is also detrimental, and there are a lot of factors that influence and slow down the process. I think there are few players who can make those leaps, and I am glad to be on that boat. You have to enjoy and appreciate it because it is very challenging.

If in Miami you thought your potential could go beyond those quarterfinals

I believe there is still a lot more to Martín beyond what he showed in Miami. It was indeed the best tournament considering what he had been delivering, but during the tournament, I felt like any other player. I felt that I could cause a lot of damage to any opponent; they had to play a great match to beat me. It felt like there was respect growing, and I think it's thanks to the courage with which I play in matches, the determination that I usually have. Yes, I think I could have achieved great things, and I am sure I will in the future.

I didn't see myself anywhere near a limit, and what happened in that match was that the opponent played very well. In the end, everyone plays really well and due to certain details that didn't go as in previous matches or at that moment were not working, for example, I was already quite tired physically, especially this year, but in general, I wasn't used to that many consecutive tough matches in my life. The day before, I had a very tough match against Korda, and I think it's something I have to improve, as today's players are true athletes and that somewhat marks the difference.

Now, tennis players are athletes and very tall

Tennis is evolving towards playing faster and faster. Players are hitting serves at two hundred ten, two hundred twenty, two hundred thirty, requiring large levers. With everything going so fast, taller players have an advantage and I think they are increasingly well-prepared to move well, be good athletes, and compete head-to-head with people ten or fifteen centimeters shorter. So, height starts to be less of a disadvantage in terms of mobility and more of an advantage in generating power. I believe tennis is evolving in that direction, and my height, for example, helps me more than it hinders me, and by improving these physical aspects, I think I will be able to perform very well and I do it daily and I think it benefits me.

What Rafa Nadal is like at his academy and the work he does with him

Rafa gets very involved, it's true that he has a life where he is busy all day, doing many things, and yet he manages to make time and tries to get involved in his academy with the players. I have personally had training sessions in which he has come by and tried to give me certain advice, and that is highly valued because he is a person with many commitments and the fact that he takes the time to be with us is important to us and highly appreciated.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El cambio que lo explica todo: Landaluce revela la clave de su mejora tras Miami