The mind game

There is a version of Federico Chingotto the world has come to know. The explosive right-side player. The relentless retriever. One of the best in the world. But his story starts somewhere else entirely: a car park in Argentina, 3am, waiting for a tournament to begin.

Origins

Federico Chingotto grew up in Olavarría, a city of 100,000 in the Buenos Aires province where padel was not a sport but a language. His parents played. His cousin played on the street in front of the house. By five years old, Fede had a racket in his hand. He has not put it down since.