“You have to decide whether to be a professional or study”

When was born Martin Landaluce (Madrid, 2006), Rafael Nadal he had already won his first Roland Garros and was on his way to the second. He came into the world in a tennis family. His father and his brothers were playing and soon he picked up the racket. He still sees this as a hobby, but the reality is that at 16 years old he has earned being among the best promises.

He won in September US Open juniorthe day before the great victory of alcaraz in Flushing Meadows. The Murcian, current number 1 in the world, is only three years older than him. It is still early for him to compare Carlos and Martín, but Landaluce’s projection allows him to imagine several face to face with each other soon.

The good results have been rewarded. On Tuesday he debuted as a professional and this weekend he debuts in an ATP tournament (the 250 of Gijon). So far everything has gone very quickly, but nothing out of the ordinary will be required of him: “We believe a lot in the process, both physically and on a tennis and mental level. Respect those spaces without rushing,” says his coach Oscar Burrieza in conversation with THE SPANISH.

[La Fábrica del Tenis Español: Entramos en las Tres Academias Que Moldean a los Número 1 del Mundo Como Alcaraz]

Martín came into the hands of Óscar two years ago, after the break due to the coronavirus. Burrieza -who as a tennis player reached 126th place in the ATP- received a call from Alejandro, father of Landaluce, to work with his son in the Madrid Federation (FTM). He immediately liked the project.

“My first goal was not to spoil it,” jokes Óscar Burrieza. Martín already had a good background due to his training in the FTM and in the Chamartin Tennis Club next to his father. He also practiced with his older brothers, a boy and a girl who are now on scholarships at USA (in Georgia y Texasrespectively).

He is very easy to work with, more than the average tennis player, and he is intelligent

Oscar Burrieza, coach of Martin Landaluce

Óscar defines him as follows: “He has a very good base of education, of values. He is responsible, very mature for his age, very cheerful and more extroverted than people imagine. In short, an easy boy to work with -” more than average”-, intelligent and with a good predisposition to work”.

On the tennis court, he stands out for his courage and aggressiveness in the game: “He likes to take the initiative of the points.” In these two years with Óscar, he feels that he has greatly improved his forehand and the way he moves on the court. “And there is a significant physical improvement,” says his coach. His presence is intimidating despite his age: he is strong and measures 1.91 meters, although they say that his growth has already stagnated -and luckily, some will think-.

2022 has been the year of his takeoff: six titles in the U18 circuit, champion with the national team -led by Burrieza- of the Borotra Cupsemifinalist of Wimbledon and champion of the US Open in junior category both tournaments. Óscar could not accompany Martín in New Yorkbut his family and the Spaniard did Stephen Laneanother coach who has recently joined the team.

“It was a tournament in which Martín went from less to more. He started out a little nervous, but he ended up getting his best tennis in the last few days. Everyone did a great job, giving him that peace of mind on a day-to-day basis that a tennis player needs to go compensating with the nerves that you find in the matches,” says Burrieza.

The key is humility

During the conversation with the coach, there is a word that is repeated a lot: modesty. The successes and that relative fame that they have brought with them are carried “as naturally as possible”. “At home they do a great job and everyone has their feet on the ground,” he tells this newspaper.

They know that from now on they have to face comparisons like those of Carlos Alcaraz, unreal because Martín has just made the leap to professional and, so to speak, they start from scratch. They take it with such modesty that they remember that the boy, beyond being a world tennis promise, is a student.

Óscar says that Martín, even in tournaments, always takes a few hours a day to dedicate himself to studies – which he carries out telematically. He is in the 1st year of Baccalaureate and, like any other kid, in two years he will have to choose his future: “He still has to decide if he wants to dedicate himself 100% to tennis as a professional or if he is going to study for a career in the United States,” he recalls. His trainer.

He is still 16 years old, but everyone who comes across him knows that he has the makings of a world-class tennis player. That is why so much effort has been put into surrounding him with a good team. In addition to Óscar and Esteban, a physical trainer works with Martín (Javier Bustos), a physical therapist (Sergio García) and a psychologist (Elena Sosa). The structure and the importance given to each member of it are inevitably reminiscent of Alcaraz and her environment.

learning from the best

Between Martín and Carlos a link has already been created. They both share an agent, Albert Molina (representative in Spain of IMG) and, as a consequence, have linked various practices together. The first time was in the Mutua Madrid Open, but then they have been chaining more sessions in tournaments in which they have coincided. More recently, they trained together in Villenaon the JC Ferrero Equelitewhere the Alicante Challenger.

Landaluce has also trained twice with Nadal. He has a scholarship at his academy (Rafa Nadal Academy) of Manacor that allows the Madrilenian to spend there a series of weeks a year. During the next preseason he will return and hopes to practice with Rafa and other talents like Casper Ruud. For Martín it is a luxury to be able to learn face to face from the current number 1 and number 2 in the world.

Nadal and Alcaraz are among the best mirrors a tennis player can have; Landaluce has both in Spain. “Martín takes it very motivated [la oportunidad de entrenar con ellos]says Oscar. “It’s a sponge. Tennis players learn a lot by looking at the best, both at a technical or tactical level and at a body language level, everything. There are things that you try to copy from them and that is priceless, you have to take advantage of it, “he adds.

Landaluce ‘soaks up’ them. “Carlos [Alcaraz] He sees him as a small colleague and he is excited to give Martín advice on things that come up”, says a Burrieza who always closely follows these sessions and is in good harmony with John Charles Ferrero -preparator of Alcaraz. “Just like Nadal, that when they trained on grass he gave him good advice that helped him during the tour on this surface,” he highlights.

The path as a professional

Martín Landaluce’s debut as a professional, in Villena, ended in defeat. Nothing out of the expected. He does not set a goal for him in the ranking for 2023 either. “It is a totally new stage and the important thing is that he adapts to the speed of the game of professional tennis,” explains his coach.

Burrieza gives some of the keys to what lies ahead for Landaluce: “Now he’s going to start playing professionally. First, it’s going to be a long pre-season to put his body as well prepared as possible to compete every week with men.”

“And then it will be to find a balance between playing Futures and any opportunity that appears to play Challenger or ATP, we will take advantage of it to learn,” he continues. It is a learning period for him and, at least, results will not be required until the second semester of next year.

It is also time to enjoy what has been achieved so far and what has emerged as a reward. In one year he has jumped from number 440 in the junior world ranking to 3. Óscar confesses that it was hard to believe then that twelve months later they would be playing a Challenger and an ATP 250. And Martín faces it with enthusiasm: “He likes challenges”, says his coach. Spanish tennis has a new phenomenon in the making.

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