“I hate losing,” Arturo Coello says with a smile, encapsulating his contemporary greatness in a single, disarmingly simple statement. Born in Mojados, in the province of Valladolid, in 2002, his rise over the past decade has taken on the trajectory of a lob, or rather, of a globo perpetually crystallised at its highest point.

World No.1 at just over twenty years of age. A ‘king,’ according to experts and casual fans alike, of the sport as a whole. Recently, the arc of this Spanish talent has been embraced by On’s vision. The Swiss brand’s entry between the glass walls positions the already nearly 40-time international title winner, alongside his partner Agustín Tapia, as a symbol of excellence for a new sporting frontier that is becoming increasingly relevant on a global scale.

A frontier that, thanks to On, we can explore precisely through Arturo Coello’s sensory biography and analytical study of the game. His testimony translates padel into instinct and thought, into human connection and individual attention, revealing the defining traits of a discipline that is, by its very nature, both fascinating and cerebral.

The public courts of Mojados, Valladolid. Today, as ‘Rey Arturo,’ how much, and what, of that first padel epiphany still lives within you? Of those moments when, thanks to your father, you began building a bond with the sport that would eventually crown you ‘King’?

“My beginnings in Mojados were very different. Back then, padel was simply a hobby. Today, it’s my profession. But those first memories are still incredibly vivid. I started playing with my little brother Rodrigo, with my parents, in my hometown. They built the court, and we began playing there, with friends and family. We kept playing all the time: padel, tennis, football. Then, when I was around twelve, I remember telling my parents: ‘Okay. I want to focus only on padel.’ I felt it was my sport: I felt I was better at it than at anything else. I still don’t know exactly why I fell in love with padel. But I think part of it is that padel is special for amateurs: it’s fun immediately. It’s easy to enjoy. Four friends can step onto the court and have a great time. You don’t need an extraordinary physique, and you don’t need elite technique. For me, at the beginning, it was the same. It was simply fun. And I was lucky: the coaches I had early on were excellent.”

At Athleta Mag, sport is art and culture. In your view, in what ways, and how, does padel become a form of art? And how connected do you feel to the cultural side of the sport, understood as its historical and geographical spread and evolution?

“In my opinion, padel is an incredible sport because it combines many different things, both at amateur level and at the professional level. In recent years, the people behind the sport have done an amazing job. Padel is now appearing everywhere in the world. When I started, I only saw padel in Spain. Now I see it in many different countries. I’m not sure whether padel is an art, or whether it is driven more by the mind or by instinct. It depends on the moment, and it depends on the player. If you compare me, for example, to Agustín (Tapia), my doubles partner, I believe I play more with my mind. But there are also moments when instinct takes over. Normally, you try to read and think through every situation on the court. But when the ball travels very fast, you have to decide in a split second. At that point, there is no time to think, you simply react.”

How much study sits behind your connection with padel?

“I study padel every day, my whole life. I don’t want to stop, because for me it’s fascinating. Even on a normal day, if I walk into a regular club and I see people playing, I can’t help it: I start thinking about their decisions, their positioning, their ideas. Even during training, when my teammates are playing next to me, I’m always observing. I’ll notice a shot and think: ‘That’s interesting.’ Understanding the sport is essential: the different types of shots, the different situations, the different moments. You can’t stop studying, because padel changes constantly. It’s still a young sport. Every year someone comes along with a new idea, a new tactical solution, and suddenly everyone has to adapt.”

Behind the No.1 spot in the world ranking lies a layered personal journey. Our media often thinks in images. Could you walk us through the ‘slides’ (moments of family life, inspirations, deep reflections, key matches and Ws) that you consider most significant in your journey, and that best define your padel biography?

“The two most important people in my life are my parents. And in sport, the most important people have been Gustavo Pratto, my coach, and Nacho Coque, my physical trainer. They’ve supported me throughout my career, and I’ve learned so much from them: about padel, and about physical preparation. They’ve been with me from the beginning, and it means a lot to still have them with me today. Talking about my personal journey, in padel you have to grow mentally very early. I remember being sixteen or seventeen and travelling around the world alone, with my bag, without anyone. It’s beautiful, but it’s difficult too. You have to deal with so many things. You’re on a plane, travelling from Argentina all the way back home, and you start thinking: ‘I love this sport. I love this life. But is this really my life?’ You think that way because you’re very young, and you haven’t yet developed a broader perspective. Your mind drifts to your friends at school, to parties…And you’re alone in a hotel room, calling your father, thinking: ‘This is different. I never imagined this.’ You enjoy it all, but you also have to reflect. You have to learn to live with that reality.”

What goes through your mind when you think about being the first padel player signed by a brand as influential in the contemporary sporting imagination as On? What impact do you hope this partnership will have on you, and, at the same time, on the sport as a whole?

“It’s a unique moment for me. When you think about On, you think about world-class athletes. So to be part of that family is very special. For me, joining a brand like this also means responsibility: you have to keep improving, keep growing, keep pushing yourself. On supports only a small number of athletes across different sports, and many of them are at the very top. So being included is something I’m proud of: not only for me personally, but also for padel. I believe it’s good for my career, and I also believe it’s good for the sport. It shows how far padel has come.”

The appeal of padel stems not only from the individual qualities of its players, but also from the creation and refinement of pair dynamics. How do you experience this constant on-court dialogue with your partner? What are the key ingredients for shaping, and making work, a truly effective dual system?

“My relationship with Agustín is wonderful. For me, he’s like a brother, on the court and outside it. We have a strong bond, and we’re friends. There’s a lot of trust between us, and that trust is everything. It’s not easy to find a partner like him. He’s special, in many ways. And it’s a privilege to compete with someone when you share that level of confidence and connection.”

We’ve spoken about reaching the top of the world rankings, something you achieved at a very young age. As many elite athletes have shared in our pages, once you reach the summit there’s a risk of finding emptiness. Your case, however, suggests the opposite, with a continuity of results that has lasted for years. What is the secret behind Arturo Coello’s sustained excellence? What does it take to remain at the top, especially in a sport as cerebral as padel?

“I hate losing. I enjoy winning, of course, but I hate losing even more. That’s what drives me. I want to learn. I want more information. I want to understand more, so I don’t lose.”