Carreño: "Ma plus grande motivation maintenant est de continuer à jouer et que mon fils puisse me voir dans ces tournois"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 25 May 2026 | 15.58

Carreño : “Ma plus grande motivation maintenant est de continuer à jouer et que mon fils puisse me voir dans ces tournois”. Photo : Gettyimages.

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Pablo Carreño (Gijón, 1991) has not yet spoken his last word in the world of tennis. After overcoming an elbow injury a couple of years ago and having to drop down to challenger tournaments, the Spaniard did not give up, returned to the top 100, and now manages to defeat a seeded player like Jiri Lehecka (6-3, 7-6(3), 6-3) to advance to the second round of Roland Garros 2026.

After his convincing debut, he sits down to talk with Punto de Break. He does so with a smile on his face after going through the bitterness of such a complicated operation on his elbow and returning to be competitive. And that good humor is needed on various issues. From his form to the new generation of Spanish players (Landaluce, Jódar, Mérida, Llamas), including the difficult injury of Carlos Alcaraz.

How did you feel today?

I wouldn't say my level surprised me because during the clay season, I think I have been improving. I started by playing those challengers in Murcia and Alicante where the results were very good and the level was not bad, but obviously, they were challengers. Then I played several matches at ATP level, and they didn't go too bad, but it's true that when I played against these top players, I was lacking a bit.

What was the key?

I think I played a very complete match, from start to finish, I was doing what I had discussed with my coach, I think I dominated many aspects of the game, served quite well too, I don't think I faced any break points throughout the match, so I think I was quite dominant. I'm happy, of course, because it was a very tough match for a first-round, besides coming with shoulder problems that happened to me in Valencia where I couldn't play.

Was there a reason for concern? With 34 years, do you measure how far you can push?

No, not at all. I think everything is fine; I didn't have any problems during the match, so I'm very happy. It is clear that with age, one of the things you improve the most is the knowledge of your body. When something hurts, I practically know already if it's going to be significant or just a minor discomfort. In the end, we often compete and train with discomfort, but you have to distinguish between discomfort, real pain, and injury. For example, in Valencia, it's not that I stopped because there was Roland Garros, I would have liked to play because I was playing in Spain, and besides, I was playing well, but I just couldn't continue.

How do you cope with having to play challenger tournaments to regain your level after your elbow injury?

When you get used to a certain level, dropping down is always a bit challenging because you are already accustomed to that level, but I have always faced challenger tournaments very well. In fact, my results have always been very good, but what you miss is the level at those ATP tournaments.

How do you mentally prepare yourself at that moment?

That was what I had to do; I didn't have a ranking, and perhaps my level wasn't enough to be back at those tournaments yet, but that's why I kept fighting and training every day, to get here to these tournaments and be able to compete with anyone, whether I win or lose, but to compete, and today I competed from start to finish and I won. That's the goal when I play a challenger.

And what motivates you now that you have recovered?

Well, when I had the injury, my biggest motivation was not to retire due to an injury and to be able to retire on the court, and it's true that when I entered the top 100 again after the injury, there was something missing to continue with that motivation. In fact, at the end of last year, and even a bit at the beginning of this one, I had a few critical moments, lacking a bit of motivation.

But my greatest motivation now is to keep playing and for my son to see me in these tournaments. To have the awareness to say that his father has been able to play these tournaments and has been able to see him enjoy these moments.

You have been a fixture of the Spanish Armada for more than a decade on the circuit, and now Jódar, Landaluce, and Mérida have appeared all at once. What do you think?

Spain has always had many players, and I think it will continue to do so. The problem is that in Spain, we have been so lucky always to have players of Nadal's level, Ferrer and many top 10 players. Then Alcaraz came out, but there are also players like Munar, Martínez, Zapata, or Carballés, and perhaps it feels like it's not enough because they have only been around 30 or 40 in the world, and we already get nervous that people are missing.

Now three have come out all at once, almost the same age very young, even four if we include Pablo Llamas, who is also very close. Jódar, for example, has a very high potential. Landaluce also has it. We need to give them time, and little by little, more players will keep coming out, and we need to support them, not rush them, not put more pressure on them than necessary because they will bear fruit.

And here in Paris, we miss one, Carlos Alcaraz. What do you recommend to him with his injury?

I know his team very well because it has practically been the team I had for many years. So I know he is in very good hands, and they will make the best decision; surely, they will not rush. The important thing is to stay calm because in the end, he is 23 years old, and he still has a long career ahead of him. He is a very mature person for his age, so he will do well; he will have to stop as long as necessary, and when he returns, I am sure he will come back with the same strength, even more than before.

You who know him well, how do you see Samu López by his side? Because he has adapted perfectly to his team...

I am not surprised because in the end, Samu has been in this for a thousand years, he has lived with many players of a very high level. Since he was with Juan Carlos Ferrero, with Nico Almagro, with Guillermo García, and then he was with me. He has been with many players, he has always given his best, and he has always pushed the player to their limit, besides being a great person. He is a great worker and I think he is more than capable of coaching a player like Carlitos.

Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Carreño: "Mi mayor motivación ahora es seguir jugando y que mi hijo pueda verme en estos torneos"