Currently ranked No. 3 in the ITF junior world rankings and the first Spanish player to win 3 J500 titles, Andrés Santamarta is not your average 18-year-old. In this episode, he opens up about leaving juniors behind, the mental shift needed to survive at the pro tour, and what it really takes to build a life around tennis. A raw convo about talent, sacrifice, and finding meaning in the grind.
Alright man, first of all, I saw that you won a J500 in Brazil. So congratulations on that—it’s a great way to start the year. What are your tournament plans for the rest of the year?
I’m definitely moving away from it a bit and starting to focus on Futures, Challengers, and so on.
Yeah, that makes sense.
I’m making the shift because a lot of players choose not to play juniors at all and go straight into pro tournaments. You gain experience that way, you toughen up, you play older guys—and that’s really valuable.
But I decided to play juniors for a while, and now I have time to start playing pro events.
Yeah, I saw that you’ve started to play ATP tournaments now. How many have you played so far?
I’ve played three… four… maybe four or five?
What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed between top juniors and starting out at ATP-level tournaments?
Well, it’s not exactly top-top ATP level, but the level is higher in some ways. Futures tournaments range from players ranked around 400–500 (the seeded players) to guys with no ranking.
In Challengers, you get players ranked around 300, 200, sometimes even just over 100.
The biggest difference, I think, is experience. In a $15,000 Future, which is the entry point for pro tournaments, you’re facing adult players of all ages.
You notice right away—these older players are stronger and more experienced. When you play juniors, you can be in a Junior Grand Slam and it’s high-level—the top 40 U18 players in the world are there. But when you step into a Future, especially a $25,000 one, the difference becomes very clear. Like I said, they’re stronger, more experienced and that shows in the tense moments of a match. They don’t give away free points, they make fewer unforced errors, they’re physically and mentally tougher.
All of that adds up and makes a big difference when you're actually in the middle of a match, you know what I mean?
Yeah, totally. So I imagine your plan this year is to play more ATP-level events and leave juniors behind a bit—maybe only playing the Junior Grand Slams?
Yeah, I played Australia in January—I left around the 6th or 7th—and I’m planning to play Paris (Roland Garros), which is on clay.
Wimbledon I’m not sure about. It’s on grass, and while it’s cool to go, I’m not sure if it’s worth it. But yeah, I’ll play some of the big junior tournaments.
For example, before Roland Garros, I’ll play two J500s—one in Milan and one in Germany—to prepare a bit.
But other than that, I don’t plan to play many more juniors.
That sounds great. What does your team think? Are they the ones guiding you to shift focus away from juniors and into the ATP circuit
I don’t think it’s just the team—it has to come from you. You’re the one who makes the final decisions.
Yes, your team can support you, protect you, give advice that’s useful day to day and in the long term. But in the end, I’m the one who says, “Okay, I want to play this, this, and this.”
I agree with their advice though, so we’ve planned things together that we all think make sense.
It’s not that we’re totally writing off juniors—they’re not saying it’s unimportant—but since it’s my last year and I’m finishing school, other things come into play.
Like the option of going to college, which is something we talked about—it’s super common now. So it’s about stepping into real life.
Futures teach you that—you might go win a junior event and feel like a god, but then go play a Future and…
it’s like starting from scratch.
There are players in their 30s still stuck playing Futures. So it’s a tough phase, and the sooner you face it and go through it, the better.
It’s like everything in life.
And how do you see the college option? Are you considering it, or are you more inclined to turn pro directly?
This is the question everyone asks, man. Colleges are all over social media reaching out, it’s crazy.
And yeah, in the last 2–3 years, a lot of players from college have broken into the top 100 or 150—which didn’t used to happen as often.
Before, the idea was more like, “I’m going to the U.S. for college because I like tennis, but I’m not going pro. It’ll be a great experience, I can study and play at the same time.”
And it is an amazing experience—you learn so much, you do a bit of everything.
But honestly, it’s a decision I haven’t made yet. I’m in no rush to decide.
It’s something I’ve talked about with my family. I haven’t really talked much about it with my coaches, because I don’t think they’d love the idea.
Obviously, coaches and federations don’t want their players going off to college, especially abroad.
But for me, it depends on how confident I feel at the end of the year, how things go, where I’m at mentally—whether I want to stay or go, whether I believe I can do this.
So it’s really about confidence and how the year unfolds—how I feel as time goes on.
Getting out of your comfort zone can be a good thing.
Right now, there’s a lot of talent in college. It’s a great opportunity for a lot of people.
But as for me—right now, no decision. I’ll see how it goes.
Yeah, totally. For example, there are people who were really surprised when Rafa Jodar, who you know, went to the U.S. He went to the University of Virginia after ending his junior year winning the US Open and being world number one.
Well, he finished two or three—I think the number one was Nikolai Budkov, who just won a Challenger recently. But yeah, I know Rafa well, I have a good relationship with him.
But yeah, like you said, the level in college now is really high. One of the best examples is Ben Shelton—he left college early, but now he’s almost top 10.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. But those are very specific cases. It’s like one in…
But it’s true that a lot more players are coming through college now.
I’ve talked to Rafa and his family. In fact, today I had a conversation with Rafa’s ex-manager—because they’re not working together anymore.
I’ve asked Rafa before how the experience has been, and he told me the level is absolutely amazing. I know it’s really high level right now.
Yeah, exactly. Like you said—it’s all about how things play out.
Let me shift gears now and ask a more general question. When did you start playing tennis? And why?
I started around 3–4 years old, I think maybe 4. I’m from Valencia and I have three siblings—we’re four in total.
My dad used to play tennis as a kid. My two older brothers played for a while too.
But you know how it is—when you hit 13–14, you want to hang out with your friends and play football or whatever.
I’m the only one who stuck with it. We all trained, even the youngest one is still playing. But I was the only one who really stayed into it, mostly because my dad put us all in lessons, etc.
And when did you start competing?
Around 8 or 9 years old.
And were you competitive from the start? Or did it start more just for fun?
I’ve always been super competitive.
I don’t know if I was at 8 or 9 exactly—but I’ve always wanted to win, always brought intensity.
I’ve got a strong character, maybe too much sometimes. But yeah, I think I’ve always been competitive.
Around 12, things started to shift. That’s when I became Spanish champion—and that kind of solidified my mindset: “Yeah, I want to keep doing this.”
Before that, it was just for fun. But winning nationals really flipped a switch for me.
That’s huge, man. When do you think was the moment you realized Spain was getting too small for you competitively? Because that’s not an easy thing to say—Spain has a crazy level.
Yeah, I remember the Nike tournaments—now they’re called Rafa Nadal Tour events, right?
Yeah, I played the last ones under the Nike name.
When I was 12, I lost in the final of the Rafa Nadal Tour Masters in Mallorca to Sergio Planella.
Then at 14, I won the Masters. That was huge.
But yeah, I think around age 14 I started traveling more—playing outside Spain, realizing national tournaments weren’t enough. I wanted to take the next step.
Yeah, that makes sense, man. I actually wanted to ask you something you mentioned earlier—when you were playing ATP tournaments, you said that in the key moments, those guys don’t give you anything, they’re super focused.
How do you approach those pressure moments now? Like in a tiebreak, or break point, 4-4 in the third set—do you feel like something changes in your mindset during those times compared to the rest of the match?
I think that the more you play, the more you learn. You build experience—some people get there earlier, others later.
That mindset—yeah, I’ve definitely changed that recently. Not long ago, to be honest. I just turned 18.
What I’ve learned from my coaches and psychologist is this: in those important moments, you have to really show up.
Anyone can play great when they’re up 5–0 or down 5–0 and don’t care. But when the score is close and everything matters, you have to lock in.
For me, it’s about focus—staying present, not making dumb mistakes.
It’s not about going wild—it’s about playing smart. But mainly, it’s about concentration. That’s what makes the difference in those moments.
That’s good. And school—are you attending in person?
No, I’m doing online school now through a program based in Madrid
Since when?
It’s been about a year. I used to go to a school near my house—an English school—but I had to switch.
I wasn’t able to train some mornings, as you can probably imagine.
Now I’ve got more flexibility.
Has that shift been hard for you emotionally? Like maybe losing touch with friends because of travel, or being away from family?
Because you’re traveling so much, you probably don’t get the typical teenage life. Has that affected you?
Yeah, that’s something I’ve thought about a lot. Everyone who travels as much as we do in tennis thinks about it.
You miss birthdays, hangouts with friends, stuff like that. I love being home—being with family and especially my friends.
I see my closest friends almost every weekend, honestly. We all live nearby, and I’ve known them forever.
So I’ve been lucky in that sense—I still see them a lot. That hasn’t hit me too hard.
But yeah, the part that does get to me sometimes is being away on long trips—two or three weeks in the U.S., South America, or Europe.
After a while, yeah, it wears on you. Everyone gets tired of being away from home.
But I try to stay positive—I'm doing what I love, traveling, playing tennis. My parents come to a lot of tournaments too.
That’s fair. Alright, man—we’re almost done, don’t worry. Let me ask you this: tennis, for example, when I…
Wait, let me ask you—are you from Madrid? And how long ago did you play?
Yeah, I’m from Madrid. I’m 25 now, already a bit older. But my story—I played all my life in Madrid.
As a kid, I was the number one in Madrid in the U-10 and U-12 categories.
Then by the time I was 14… Do you know who’s the best from Madrid right now?
Yeah, Alejandro Moro. I’ve met him a few times. We did a Joma photo shoot together—they invited both of us.
I’m also with Joma now. That was a while ago, but I met him there. Super nice guy.
Yeah, I played him once when we were kids. He beat me—and I was super impressed.
Because when we were little, like Benjamín and Alevín, no one even knew who he was.
And then out of nowhere he exploded and made huge progress. Incredible.
I’ve got the perfect example: Rafa Jodar.
He played well when we were younger—I remember him going to the Madrid Open with Mutua.
But last year was when he really blew up. He started winning over the summer, took five or six tournaments in a row, and now he’s where he is.
When we were kids, no one would’ve thought he’d play the junior Grand Slams. No one expected that.
And look at him now.
Honestly, I don’t even know if I’ll “stretch the gum” as far as he has.
Yeah, tennis changes all the time. You never know. It’s like flipping a coin.
Exactly. And I’m sure you know it even better than me—you’ve competed way more.
But from my own experience, I feel like tennis teaches you that progress can come from small shifts.
Like, one week you play a tournament and you’re on fire—maybe not even because your tennis got better, but because you feel different, more confident.
That mindset shift is huge from one tournament to the next.
Totally. Like you said—it can be anything.
Maybe you’re training better, or maybe you made a change in your routine, or moved out of your comfort zone—and suddenly, boom.
Like Moro Cañas—he’s from Madrid too. I don’t know what exactly he did, but the transformation was real.
Exactly, it’s wild. I never even saw Moro Cañas in U-10 or U-12, but by the time he was an U-14, he was beating everyone.
So anyway, like I was saying—when I was 14, almost 15, I moved to Panama.
And honestly, that was kind of the end of my competitive tennis. I kept training there, but there just wasn’t enough competition.
I was the number one in Panama, but the level wasn’t there. No one really played. After I moved and then came back to Spain in the summer, I kept competing.
But the level just wasn’t there anymore. Guys were passing me. I didn’t have what I used to have competitively.
It got to the point where I was super unmotivated.
Like I told you, I was one of the best in Spain when I was younger—U-10, U-12.
Even in U-14, I was still up there, but it got harder.
In my last junior year, I got into a good university academically, so I said:
"Alright, I’m going to focus on that. I’m not getting the offers I’d be proud of."
And honestly, I was so unmotivated that I just stepped away from tennis and focused on studying.
But man, from all the years I did compete, I honestly feel like tennis shaped how I approach life.
The way I go after goals—it’s different from people who haven’t competed.
Each match, each tournament—it’s like a story that matures you in ways other people don’t experience.
Let me ask you: how do you think all this—competing, traveling, training—has shaped your view of life compared to someone who hasn’t gone through it?
You mean compared to people who haven’t competed much?
Exactly. Do you think it’s changed how you see goals or how you approach life in general
Honestly, I don’t think it’s that different, because everyone has goals.
Even people who say they don’t care about anything—they still like something and want to be something.
So I think we all have objectives, whether it’s “I want to be an architect,” or “I want to be an engineer,” etc.
But what tennis has taught me… is a ton.
The way you live your goals—how you go after them—is different.
Being in that environment, training every day, competing, leaving your house, leaving your friends, family, going on trips for two or three weeks…
That’s a sacrifice.
And that sacrifice gives you motivation—especially when things go well.
You want to get to the top. You want to be in the top 100.
Tennis, especially being an individual sport, really shapes you. You suffer alone. Your team helps a bit, but you’re mostly on your own.
So it gives you a lot of values—about competing, suffering, pushing through.
You mature a lot. Not just as an athlete, but as a person.
Like I said before, sure, people who study also make sacrifices—studying is tough.
But sports, especially individual ones, are a whole different kind of challenge.
For example, I can’t even sit down to study—I’m terrible at it, I’m super lazy when it comes to that.
But tennis teaches you to suffer through things, like a beast.
And your goals, if you’re an athlete, they’re usually way more intense than someone who doesn’t play sports, you know?
Because you’re training every day to become the athlete you’ve always dreamed of being—and still want to be.
So yeah, tennis builds you.
It teaches you to suffer, to be more competitive.
Like I said, especially in tennis—it’s all on you.
It teaches you a lot of values that people who don’t go through individual sports can’t really understand.
That’s beautiful, man. I really liked that answer—honestly. Totally agree with you.
And it gives you motivation too—to push your brand to the top.
Exactly! It might sound silly, but tennis made me super stubborn—in a good way.
Like, if I want to be good at something, I’m going to be good no matter what.
Day after day after day—I just go for it.
Exactly. And you look at the life of a student, say 19–20 years old, studying a degree… maybe they dream of becoming a doctor or something…
But then they’re partying all the time, chasing girls or whatever.
Sports are much more serious. I think they require way more sacrifice.
Yeah, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I totally agree.
I’m not saying studying isn’t hard—it’s super hard for people who are built for it.
But I’m speaking from my perspective—I’m just not cut out for studying.
But tennis? It’s one of the hardest things out there.
It’s true.
And what’s even crazier is how few people actually make a living from tennis. Maybe 150 players in the world, across all ages.
You’re like, what the hell? So many people playing, and only that many make it.
It’s wild.
Football’s different—more teams, more players. But there are also way more people playing football than tennis.
Completely different landscapes.
Yeah, I agree 100%, man.
Alright—last question. I usually ask this one to people finishing college because they’ve already been through their journey.
But I’ll ask you too:
If you could sit down with your younger self—say, 12 years old and just getting serious about tennis—and give him advice, what would you say?
Tennis advice or life advice?
Either. Or both.
Alright, I’ll mix it up a bit.
Not that I’m anyone special to be giving advice on life or tennis, but…
Man, that’s a tough question.
It makes you think, huh?
Yeah, and the cliché answer is always, “Don’t give up.”
“Follow your dreams,” right? [Laughs]
Exactly. But I won’t say that. I want to be more original.
Although to be fair, those kinds of messages, if you really take them to heart, they are meaningful.
So yeah, mixing in tennis advice, I’d say: don’t waste a single training session. Train like every practice counts.
That’s something I’ve really come to understand recently—even though I still make a lot of mistakes in that area.
Another thing I’ve learned is to take care of your people.
You’ll always look after your family, of course—but if you treat your team like family too, it changes everything.
Think about it—if I treat my team like my family, and I see them every day…
Yeah, I get tired. I haven’t changed coaches, but I did bring in a second one to travel with, just to balance things out. I got tired of always traveling with the same person. And that’s okay.
But if you take care of your team, they’ll give you everything in return.
So to my 12- or 14-year-old self, I’d say: take good care of your people—those who give everything for you.
They’ll keep giving everything, and they’ll care about you even more. They’ll literally break their backs for you if you show them respect and love.
And I’ll be honest—I’m a tough person. I’ve got a big personality. I’m super competitive.
That has its pros and cons.
On court, I’ve behaved badly. I still do sometimes. And I admit that without shame.
And off court, with my people, I’ve acted like a brat—a proper brat, in all caps.
So yeah, that’s my advice: take care of your people.
Because in the end, they’re going to give their all for you.
And if you make them happy, if you show them love, they’ll give you that love and energy right back—and more.
Yes, they’re your coaches, and of course they want you to succeed and maybe benefit if you reach the top 10.
But it’s deeper than that.
And in general, whatever you choose to do, give it everything.
I used to train pretty poorly, but in these past few years I’ve stepped it up.
I’m more serious, more thoughtful. I’ve worked with sports psychologists too.
There are still days when I don’t feel like training. Just like nobody feels like waking up early to go study or hit the gym.
But those are the things that pay off long-term.
Especially in tennis—it helps so much. In all sports really, but tennis teaches you so much—mentally, morally, physically.
You get stronger in every way.
So I’d tell myself: train like it’s the last day of your life. And live that way too.
Take advantage of every moment—because these years go by in a flash.
I was 12 six years ago. And I swear, I barely noticed the time passing.
And now I’m done playing for Spain. And I used to love it.
So take advantage of those tournaments when you’re with your friends.
I remember being 12, 14, 16—going to events with the Spanish national team.
Last year too, I went with Rafa Jodar.
Those team tournaments, when you’re playing for your country—you feel that flag, you feel the pride.
You’re facing players from other countries, and the competitiveness in me just kicks in hard.
I always want to win—like, no matter what.
Man, for someone who said they didn’t know how to answer at first—you gave a hell of a response.
Haha, I went on a bit of a rant, but yeah.
No, seriously—I liked it. That advice applies to anyone, honestly, at any age.
Especially to the younger kids, man.
In tennis, when you’re starting out, you begin with the Rafa Nadal Tour, or Nike when it was still around.
Or in Valencia, we had the Valencia Tennis Tour—local events.
And honestly, if you’re lucky and you train hard, and you really love it, you might end up playing the Junior Grand Slams.
Even better, maybe the pros. That would be insane.
To be able to build a life around tennis, have a family, and call this your job—what more could you ask for?
Absolutely, man. Alright, I’ve got two final, quick questions—kind of fun ones.
First: Who’s your idol?
Rafael Nadal Parera [Laughs]
Yeah?
Honestly, I’ve never had a ton of sports idols. I’ve had favorite players—like Wawrinka, he’s always been one of my favorites.
But Rafa Nadal… the message he sends is next level.
I actually met him because I was invited to the Davis Cup in Málaga during his farewell appearance. I went as a sparring partner—got the invite from the federation.
Funny enough, Rafa was injured at the time.
You know there was a Davis Cup tie in Valencia, right? Spain won that one.
That was the group stage. The final phase was in Málaga.
Rafa was supposed to go to that one too—he, Alcaraz, Pedro Martínez, Granollers, and Bautista were the planned team.
Then one day while I was training, I get this message out of nowhere asking for my suit size and other info.
I was like, “What the hell is this?”
Turns out I got invited to Málaga because Rafa was injured.
Also, I’ve played doubles with Rafa Jodar in every major junior tournament—Grand Slams and everything.
We even won the European Championship together with Zanamazan.
Then Rafa got injured, and I had to step up.
Wait—what was the question again?
Haha, your idol!
Right!
So yeah, the message I got from both Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz was the same:
“Keep working. This is a long road. But the most important thing is to enjoy it.”
They both told me that. Alcaraz said it at the Mutua Madrid Open. Rafa told me at Málaga.
I’ve never had a true “idol,” but if I had to name one—it’s Rafa Nadal. The guy is a god.
Yeah, same here—Rafa is the guy for me too.
Alright, last one:
Would you rather win a Grand Slam, or be world number one?
Win a Grand Slam—no doubt.
Which one would you want to win?
Roland Garros. Without a doubt.