There are those who believe that magic is an occult art or science with which extraordinary or unusual things can be achieved. when Sanio gutierrez grab a palette reconfirms this concept. Because with his skill and elegance, the puntano amazes the padel public from all over the world. And also, with his life story, he transcends being just an athlete to become something more.
Several years ago it was dubbed Saniodue to his striking resemblance to the host of an 1980s TV commercial. Today he is also heard referred to as the Wizard from San Luigi. One of his last tricks is still present in the collective memory, because he was in charge of making the final point for Argentina to become world champion just a week ago.
The former WPT number one dressed as a hero in the last match of the final series, against Spain, of the 16th Padel World Cup which was played in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The first match was won by the Europeans, the second was for the Albiceleste team and the definition was in the hands of the duo formed by Fernando Belasteguin and Carlos Gutiérrez.
“A lot was played with the heart and luckily it was my turn to have the last ball to become champion”, he confesses Sanio Gutiérrez a clarion in a phone chat. Puntano rubbed the lamp and did his duty. He converted the winning goal from their last match to beat Alex Ruiz and Momo González 6-4, 5-7 and 6-3 to give Argentina their eleventh title in this competition.
Then, emotion took over the scene on the other side of the world and everything was a party. One day after the title, Sanio He wrote on his Instagram account with a certain serenity: “Enjoy the Argentine canoeists, enjoy Argentina, enjoy the world champion. For our families, for our friends and for everything we left behind when we decided to leave to make our dreams come true.”.
There was not much rest time for the Argentine because after the glory he got on a plane that took him to Barcelona and then to Sweden, where he had to defend the scepter of the Malmo Padel Open: in the end he fell in the final against world number one, Juan Lebrón and Alejandro Galán. And in a few days he will perform at Padel de La Rural in Buenos Aires.
Before returning from the European country, Sanyo took some time to recount the sensations of the historic conquest, review his career and everything that had to happen to have this great gift.
The journey that changed him forever
“I’m grateful that I can dedicate myself to what I enjoy,” he says. Saniowho grabbed a paddle tennis racket for the first time at the age of 11, entered the professional circuit at 15 and accumulates 42 titles since moving to Spain leave your mark at the highest levels of this discipline.
The Sanluiseño reflects on this great present that he has to live and opens his heart to him: “Without a doubt, I had a lot of fun at the recent World Cup. With my age you start to become sensitive and you remember many things. Not seeing my parents, not seeing my my grandchildren, having family far away. The hard part of the process.”
-You had to cross the pond and leave your family on the other side to make your dream come true, how do you live with that?
– It was difficult, of course. With my friends I have a chat group where I am constantly talking and sending things to each other. Even with my father. Technology allows you to be nearby, but it’s not the same as being there in Argentina.
Have you had a bad time at one point?
-Even though it was difficult for me to live there and have my family far away, it never occurred to me to return because I was very clear about what I wanted to do. I’ve had a bad time many times, yes. I cried several times on the phone, but I knew what I wanted for me and for my future.
-What differences do you find between the reality with which you trained and the possibilities that the new generation of paddle tennis players have?
-Today you have training centers and many things that I didn’t have when I started. In terms of physical preparation, he has improved a lot compared to my times. Today the boys have a physical trainer who knows the body of each athlete and makes them work with specific exercises for each of them. Also from a technical point of view there is the possibility of working on specific movements of the paddle or things that did not exist in another era.
-In your case, you fought hard to become a professional player…
-I found myself to be a professional athlete. As a kid, I didn’t know what it meant to do a preseason. I haven’t had a physical trainer for many years, nothing. I was self taught. Today boys have another reality when it comes to training and each case is different.
The beginning of a passion and the desire to go further
Charles Sanio Gutiérrez is 38 years old and has dozens of titles to his credit. However, the Sanluiseño clearly remembers his first steps in the sport. “The passion was passed on to me by my father and my brother“, he says to this chronicler.
Emotional memory does not fail. before being the WizardHe has already proved his ability. He was just a boy playing alone against a gable in San Luis while his relatives played tennis at the clubhouse. I was waiting for them playing sports, but I was not alone. He had a palette with which he was already preparing his first tricks.
“Later they also started playing paddle tennis. When they played I gathered alone. But after a while I asked them to start playing with me”, he adds, recounting the birth of his great passion.
His childhood was spent at the height of paddle tennis in the country. The Golden Age during the 1990s was the product of unprecedented rage that spawned unprecedented business. But as the activity died down and the fields began to close, Sanio never let go of the paddle. “When I was 11, the paddle started to fall out, the clubs disappeared and the flex came, but I continued to play with the older boys“, expressed.
Sure, facing off against rivals who are more than one physically is exhausting. But some are able to take advantage of the disadvantages that life presents. “Over time I started racing older people and that makes you more mature because they race differently,” he adds. Sanio from. And he confirms, accounting for his mentality: “At the same time you’re improving a lot from a technical point of view.”
Sanluiseño was work, effort, dedication and a lot of passion. He quickly turned pro and excelled in Argentina. But he had to emigrate to grow up, because although he shone on the Argentine circuit “you couldn’t make a living with paddle tennis because you didn’t make much money”.
It arrives in Spain in 2006 at the hands of Gustavo The cat Briner and started writing another story. The following year he made the leap to the Padel Pro Tour (PPT), in partnership with Francisco Iglesias, and in his debut season he came to play two quarterfinals and one semifinal.
It has been 16 years since his arrival in the Old Continent and it has all been a growth in the career of Agustín Tapia’s current partner, who with his mentality and magic has managed to be one of the greatest Argentine references in this discipline together with Fernando Belasteguín . But obviously, to perform sportingly in the elite, the psychological level is essential.
-How was the mental work to be done at most in the elite?
-Today with the Monday paper, working with psychologists and others, I realized that I did it naturally. What things did I focus on, what was I working on or what was my goal, all of these were things that came naturally to me. Then the psychologists told me, you have to work here or here, and I listened to them, but I did it myself, it left me inside. And today I try to teach my students and work on what makes you stronger in moments of tension, to make decisions.
-You had a great year, what awaits you and how do you prepare yourself?
-For the next tournament we are very good with Agustín (Tapia), now we are in Malmo, Sweden, preparing for the tournament, and then the Buenos Aires Pádel Master will come (November 15 to 20 in La Rural). Yes, we had a great year with many titles and many finals. But I’d like to add one more trophy.
-Is there Sanyo for a while?
-If the body respects me and allows me, I think there is Sanyo for a while. And, of course, if I have no injuries. As long as you feel the passion, that will be it. I like to compete, I’m ready to fight and as long as I feel it inside me I will keep playing. I am really enjoying it.
Source: Clarin
