Federico Chingotto, the number 3 ranked Argentine paddle tennis player: he sold raffle tickets to travel, lived in a car, and is a world champion.

The Premier Padel Tour returns to Argentina for the Buenos Aires P1 , which will be played between Monday and Sunday of next week at the Mary Terán de Weiss stadium in Parque Roca . The tournament, belonging to the second most important category of the circuit, will have several Argentines as strong candidates for the title, among them, Federico Chingotto . The 28-year-old from Olavarría will be looking for another trophy alongside his Spanish teammate Alejandro Galán , with whom he shares third place in the world rankings, and is extremely excited to play again in front of his family and friends, who were key in him reaching the highest level of a sport that captivated him when he was very young.

"I think we're all looking forward to this tournament. Especially because family, friends, and acquaintances can come and watch us. In my case, they sacrificed a lot so I can be on the best tour in the world today," Chingotto said in a chat with a small group of media outlets, which included Clarín .

Fede was born 28 years ago in Olavarría to a family passionate about padel. "I was always very close to a court. At 5, I enrolled in a junior school and started with my first coach, José Armendano . He later introduced me to tennis, which I played for three years, but my heart was always in padel," said the Buenos Aires native, who built his career with a tremendous amount of effort from himself and everyone around him.

His parents, Sandra and Fernando, sacrificed a lot so he could travel to compete, holding raffles to raise money to pay for his travel. His friends and acquaintances also helped out with whatever they could. More than once, Fede arrived at tournaments with little advance notice and even slept in his car on some nights to save on hotel room costs.

"The road was tough. I come from a humble family, I never lacked anything, but we did struggle financially for tournaments. I always trained in Bolívar, 100 kilometers from Olavarría, and I had to travel. It was always a bit of a sacrifice. Today I'm living a dream, because leaving my city and now being on the best circuit in the world or seeing my parents in the stands watching me play a semifinal or a final... That's enough to win," he recalled.

The difficulties didn't discourage him. He knew padel was his path. So much so that days before his 11th birthday, he didn't hesitate to trade the celebration for an invitation from the Argentine Padel Association to compete in the youth national team. He had to choose because they couldn't afford both. And at 18, he made a big bet: he moved to Spain, one of the most important padel centers in the world, to fully focus on his professional career. Although he had to be patient, because success didn't come quickly.

In his early years, he teamed up with Juan Tello , also an Argentinian. Together, they won the Las Rozas Open in 2020. In 2022, he played for a few months with Spaniard Javier Garrido and then with Francisco Paquito Navarro , with whom he won the 2023 Masters Final in Barcelona. And in March of last year, he received a career-changing call from Galán, the former world number 1, who proposed a partnership.

The new duo debuted in the fourth tournament of the calendar and the big results came quickly. They played in 15 finals during the season and won five titles: Brussels, Seville, Mar del Plata, the Italian Major in Rome, and Genoa. They even competed for the top spot in the rankings against Argentina's Agustín Tapia and Spain's Arturo Coello . Fede also put the finishing touch to his 2024 campaign by winning the Doha World Cup with the sky-blue and white team, which defeated Spain 2-1 in the final.

In 2025, Chingotto and Galán - who play this week in Asunción - have won two titles (Miami and Santiago de Chile) and played in two other finals (the Doha Masters and Brussels).

Just like that, Fede went from being just another good player on the circuit to one of the main protagonists. And with the favoritism, the titles, and the increased exposure, the pressure grew. But he tries to keep a clear head so he doesn't miss out on the chance to enjoy himself.

"When there are brands involved, contracts, and so on, the fun goes away a lot. There's extra pressure because it's your job and the person in front of you wants to take it away from you. We try to handle it in the best way possible. I always say it's like when you're going to take a test: if you've studied, you're calm. Here it's the same: if you've trained and done things well, you're calm and prepared. We have 100 percent faith in the work of the entire team," he commented.

"At this point, the issue of psychology and the support of the entire team are fundamental. They're the legs of your table. When the structure is good, everything runs more smoothly and you're more relaxed. But there are always nerves, fear, and tension. And sometimes, due to the daily whirlwind and the pressure we play under, we don't realize what we're achieving. Sometimes losing in the round of 16 or the quarterfinals is a catastrophe for us, and there are people who would die to play in a Premier League final. When you put that in your head, you realize that this is still a game and you have to enjoy it," he reflected.

The nomadic life of a padel player, traveling from one tournament to another week after week (very similar to that of a professional tennis player), also makes it more difficult to enjoy.

"I think last year I was at home for two and a half or three months. I was lucky enough to play in a lot of finals and stay until the last day of the tournament. And then straight to the next. We're used to living in hotels. You're always packing your suitcase. Our day-to-day routine is training; we don't have many free hours. We're on the court all day, and sometimes it gets tough," he commented.

Although he clarified: "Obviously I'm not complaining; I'm really enjoying my life. I'm grateful because I'm living a dream. Being able to travel all over the world, having people know us, and contributing my bit to padel, is incredibly fulfilling."

"I'm really looking forward to it; I hope the stadium is packed. I always highlight the inner fire that Argentinians have, how they live sport with an open heart, and how they enjoy it to the fullest. And for us, it's a great motivation that the fans are there supporting us and enjoying themselves with us," Chingotto commented about the tournament that will be held next week at the Villa Soldati stadium.

The Buenos Aires native and his teammate will defend the title they won last year in Mar del Plata, the city that hosted the Argentine event of the circuit, by defeating Tapia and Coello, the number 1s, in the final. They hope to dethrone them from the top of the rankings this year.

"Obviously that's what we want, but we have to take it step by step because the circuit is very close. They can beat you in almost any round, and you have to always be super-charged. There are many very strong pairings that can challenge us for the biggest titles. And let's not forget that last year, when we pushed the number 1s, they brought out their best. It's a long job, a long road. We have to take it slow, step by step, in pursuit of that goal," he assured.