Álex Ruiz: the ‘Captain America’ of padel

Álex Ruiz, also known by the nickname ‘Captain America’ for sharing the appearance with the famous big-screen hero, is a Spanish professional player who currently holds the eleventh position in the World Padel Tour ranking and the twelfth in Premier Padel, which will be the reference circuit starting from 2024.

The player from Malaga, one of the most reliable drives on the circuit, is capable of competing against the best despite suffering from type 1 diabetes since he was ten years old, which requires him to keep a strict control of his sugar and glycemia levels at all times.

Álex Ruiz’s Data

Álex Ruiz stands out for his ability to hide his shots, allowing him to perform deep bandejas, rulos, and smashes using practically the same preparation with his left arm.

In 2023, he started pairing with Momo González but in March of the same year, he decided to start a new project with ‘Gato’ Juan Tello, with whom he has been sharing the side of the court ever since.

At Zona de Pádel, we unmask the ‘Captain America’ to learn about his career and the aspects that define him as one of the most respected left-handed players in the World Padel Tour and Premier Padel.

Biography of Álex Ruiz

The Andalusian player began his journey in the world of sports by playing tennis, although over time he switched the racket for the padel paddle.

Despite doctors telling him that he could not perform high-intensity sports after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 10, Álex Ruiz broke all schemes by learning to live with his chronic illness to make a place for himself in the elite.

Thanks to the support of his parents, medical advances, and especially understanding his body over the years to combat the constant ups and downs of sugar, the player from Malaga has managed to get where he is today and make his diabetes visible. The secret? According to him, “maintain a healthy diet, respect rest, and be aware of the changes that the body undergoes over the tournaments.”

At 15, he decided to start competing in isolated tournaments of the Padel Pro Tour (former World Padel Tour), and at 17 he managed to complete the entire circuit.

During that stage, he demonstrated all his talent by becoming a world champion in the under-16 and under-18 categories, pairing with García Campos and Matías Marina, respectively.

It was precisely with the latter, whom Álex Ruiz has always defined as “his ideal partner,” with whom he began to make a name for himself on the World Padel Tour. Together, they lifted their first two Challenger titles: Cordoba in 2015 and Lisbon in 2016.

After these successes, he received the call from two legends of the circuit like Seba Nerone and Agustín Gómez Silingo, with whom he matured sportingly and reached four more Challenger finals.

Subsequently, he formed a duo in 20202020 with Martín Sánchez Piñeiro and Pablo Lijó before receiving the call from Franco Stupaczuk, which would represent a qualitative leap in his career.

The ‘Chaqueño’ trusted him for the 2021 season, and together with Carlos Pozzoni, they formed a solid, versatile, and fierce team that managed to be present in almost all the final rounds of each tournament, lifting two titles: the Sardegna Open and the Mexico City Open; both defeating Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno in the final. This performance allowed them to finish the season as the fourth pair in the rankings.

Álex Ruiz rounded off that year with the conquest of the World Padel Championship for National Teams held in Qatar, where Spain won its fourth star by defeating Argentina 2-0. Although the player from Malaga did not play in the final, he did participate in other rounds of a tournament that saw Alejandro Galán, Juan Lebrón, Paquito Navarro, Arturo Coello, Coki Nieto, Javi Rico, and Momo González.

After the successes achieved, he continued to pair with Franco Stupaczuk in 2022, but just five tournaments after the start of the season, the Argentine player decided to team up with Pablo Lima, thus causing a breakup that shocked padel fans.

Despite ending that great stage, another exciting one appeared with Momo González, who was already shining alongside Javi Rico in the World Padel Tour.

The duo from Malaga generated a spectacular and charismatic padel on the blue court, competing in every match against pairs called to take the titles. Together, they were runners-up in two Master tournaments in 2022 such as Marbella and Madrid.

Moreover, they played the final of the World Padel Championship in Dubai, featuring in the decisive clash against Fernando Belasteguín and Sanyo Gutiérrez. The experience of the legendary Argentine players was key to defeating them 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 for the title to travel to the Argentine country.

Beyond the good harmony and gameplay shown with Momo, Álex Ruiz decided to change air when he got the opportunity to compete alongside Juan Tello.

He has shared the court with ‘Gato’ throughout this demanding season, in which a total of 34 tests have been contested between World Padel Tour and Premier Padel.

Their best result occurred in the Cervezas Victoria Málaga Open 2023, where they fell in a very close final against the number ones Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello 7-5, 7-6.

After a difficult course where they struggled to find balance on the 20×10 despite being two aggressive players who cover the gaps on the court well, they have not closed the door to continuing together next year in Premier Padel.

Best Points of Álex Ruiz

‘Captain America’ performs a great physical display and is a player known for his ability to finish points from mid-court forward, using shots with a lot of effect.

Despite his weak point being defense, he solves these situations with good attacking decisions, especially through smashes and rulos that make the ball ‘die’ in the side glass.

Adidas Bets on ‘Captain America’

The prestigious brand reached an agreement with Álex Ruiz to activate a sponsorship that has been uninterrupted since its beginning in 2016.

Alongside icons like Alejandro Galán and Martita Ortega, the player from Malaga is one of the visible faces of Adidas Padel, which has also wanted to share his story as a high-performance athlete with a chronic illness like type 1 diabetes.

 

Furthermore, it is worth noting that he competes with the legendary line of paddles Adipower; this 2024 with the renewed Adidas Adipower Multiweight CTRL 3.3, a model that gathers all the conditions to dominate every point on the 20×10.

The control version of the Adipower line has a round shape and a sweet spot located in the center to favor control and power in every shot.

It is an elegant paddle of medium balance that, like the Multiweight 3.3, also features the Weight & Balance system located on the head and edge, with the possibility to adjust the weight and balance of the paddle by up to nine grams.

Being made of the highest quality carbon, this model is characterized by its resistance, durability, and stiffness, and also features high-density rubber to aid in delivering an extra level of power in the shots.

Achievements and Triumphs of Álex Ruiz

The 29-year-old drive player already knows what it means to lift important titles in the World Padel Tour and representing the Spanish National Team.

The great level shown by Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello, the ‘Superpibes’, and Alejandro Galán and Juan Lebrón throughout this season made it impossible for ‘Captain America’ to touch metal in 2023, so he has that task pending in the new circuit that has acquired the rights to the World Padel Tour.

The player from Malaga has lifted these titles throughout his career:

Date	Tournament	Partner / Team
2021	World Team Championship	Spanish Padel Team
2021	Sardegna Open	Franco Stupaczuk
2021	Mexico City Open	Franco Stupaczuk
2016	Lisbon Challenger	Matías Marina
2015	Córdoba Challenger	Matías Marina