Let’s take a deep dive to a Padel star, amazing Alejandro Ruiz, also known as the ‘Captain America’ of Padel Tennis. If you are interested in this Padel icon and want to know about his life and career in the professional Padel circuits, then please read along with us.
Who is Alejandro Ruiz?
Alejandro Ruiz is a Spanish professional Padel player. Álex is known for his aggressive play and incredible shots. As of November 2023, Ruiz is ranked 11th on the WPT rankings. He has played an overall 444 games, of which he won 254 and lost 190, putting his winning percentage at 57.2%. Throughout his time as a professional padel -player on the WPT circuit, he amassed 5850 points and, remarkably, achieved a streak of 7 consecutive wins.
Álex Ruiz was a young Padel promise, a legend in the making. He managed to win the World Championship in pairs in the under-16 and under-18 categories, along with García Campos and Matías Marina respectively. He left the minor circuits as Champion of Spain, champion of Andalusia, and the Master of Minors. What is more, Ruiz competed in the 2021 Padel World Championship.
Beside Padel, Ruiz Studied Business Administration and Management at the Camilo José Cela University
Álex Ruiz’s Padel Chart
Table 1
| Name | Alejandro (Álex) Ruiz Granados |
| Birthdate | June 12th 1994 |
| Birthplace | Malaga, Spain |
| Height | 6’1” (187cm) |
| Sport | Padel |
| Playing Position | Right |
| Active years | 2013 |
| Playing Partners | Gastón Malacalza (2013) Fernando Poggi and Jaime Bergareche (2014) Matías Marina (2015-2016) Seba Nerone (2016-2017) Agustín Gómez Silingo (2018) Martín Sánchez Piñeiro (2019) Pablo Lijó (2020) Franco Stupaczuk (2021) Momo Gonzalez (2022) Juan Tello (2023- current) |
Álex Ruiz’s Debut in Padel
Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 10 could not have been easy. Since then, Ruiz has been able to show everyone that limits are mental and nothing more.
He started in the world of professional Padel tennis at the age of 15, playing individual tournaments on the PPT circuit. Later, at 17 years old, He decided to finish the entire circuit, and the rest was history.
Ruiz began his athletic career on the World Padel Tour in 2013, its first season. Although he only won 8 games out of 26, he was not discouraged and worked hard to perfect his game alongside professional players and coaches.
In 2015, He and Matías Marina won the Córdoba Challenger together. The pair had known each other since childhood and had played on many occasions in the junior and lower tier tournaments. They separated during their debut in the professional arenas.
What Happened to Álex Ruiz?
After his diagnosis at ten years old, Ruiz was told that he would not be able to dedicate himself to any sport. A stigma that still prevails today among athletes and athlete wannabes, this distinction has made him a reference for young people who deal with diabetes.
Ruiz explained that his body underwent many sudden changes, which he didn’t expect. Nowadays, he knows to give a lot of importance to recovery and sleeping. Sleeping and eating well immensely affect glucose levels in the body. However, Ruiz adds that pressure and tension have affected him a lot. It destabilizes him. Not to mention how weather changes and time zones wreck the routine he established with his doctors. Ruiz prevails and stands firm against all that may stand in his way, from tough matches to chronic illnesses.
How Does Diabetes Affect Álex Ruiz’s Game?
Ruiz’s strict diet mandates that his body consumes no sugar. Consequently, leaving him without strength. Additionally, because of the tension and nerves of padel matches, his glucose levels skyrocket by the end of any given game.
There is no pattern that Ruiz can establish and follow in his daily life because his bodily functions are constantly changing, especially since the body adapts to and learns to resist insulin and medication. His work schedule is also very hectic and ever-changing.
Padel is being established as a professional sport; thus, it is becoming more demanding of its athletes. For example, Padel Premiere represents the future and the legitimacy that the WPT holds, string Padel athletes all over the world with different locations from the coldest (Scandinavian countries) to the hottest (The Middle East) places. And since most Padel athletes rely on it solely for income, many play with injuries.
Álex Ruiz’s History of Partners
Álex ascended the professional circuits in 2013, and his first-ever partner in the WPT was Gastón Malacalza. Their partnership was fruitful in technical ways. Álex says that Gastón has given him confidence in his game and confidence in himself. Next came the legendary Fernando Poggi in 2014. This was Álex’s first opportunity to shine and play with someone who has been at the top and knows what it entails. Sadly, the results were not what they expected, however, they did not spend their partnership being idle; they grew their game as a couple until they had a good and tight game at the end of the season.
In 2015, Álex rekindled his partnership with Matias Marina, a player with whom he played for two years in a row in the minors. This pair was fusional. Looking back at their careers, they were the ideal partners at the time. They were very complicit and maintained a great relationship both on and off the court. They won the Córdoba Challenger of 2015 and the Lisbon Challenger of 2016.
By 2018, Ruiz was considered a young promising talent. He was paired with Agustín Gómez with whom he formed a duo famously referred to as the Marvel team, Gomez as the Hulk and Alejandro as Captain America.
In 2021, he partnered up with Stupaczuk and won 2 titles: The Sardegna Open of 2021 and the México Open of 2021, both against Di Nenno and Paquito Navarro. Their partnership was a fan favorite. They had an affinity and team unity, and they got along very well on the Padel court.
2022 saw him play with Momo Gonzalez with whom he won against the number one pair at the Marbella Master 2022.
In 2023, Ruiz switched partners again and joined forces with Juan Tello.
Alex Ruiz believes that the beauty of this sport resides in the fact that you have to fight a lot to stay. The difficult thing is staying and not getting there.
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