Robles: "Olympics is always the biggest stage" as he aims to qualify for Los Angeles

Spanish left-hander Alvaro Robles told The Hindu on August 17, 2026, that "The Olympics is always the biggest stage" and said his next target is to qualify for and perform well at the Los Angeles Olympics. The comments came during an extended interview in which he discussed his career, family life and the development of table tennis in Spain and India.

Robles has been a regular on the international circuit for more than a decade, reached a career-high world ranking of No. 28 and has spent nearly 10 years inside the top 100. He has featured in six of the seven editions of Ultimate Table Tennis and cites German star Timo Boll as an early idol who influenced his style. As a teenager he moved to Germany to train and is now a father of two balancing professional travel with family responsibilities. In the interview he addressed the impact of that move, the evolution of Spanish table tennis and his plans to return to peak form.

On his admiration for Boll, Robles said: "I started watching him when I was 16 or 17. He was in his prime and I watched so many of his matches. I took a lot of motivation from his game. I think my style is quite similar to his." He also recalled how access to early online videos shaped his approach: "I started watching him when I was 16 or 17, we started getting access to computers and I watched the first videos on YouTube. I was very impressed. I started copying him in practice and tried to take every skill from him as a left-hander."

Robles described limited but meaningful contact with Boll: "Not very often, but a few times. I played against him and practised with him. It was a privilege to share those moments with somebody I really admired. I could never beat him — he was so good — but I managed to have some close matches. I was very happy about that." He said relocating to Germany transformed his preparation and mindset: "It had a huge impact on my career and table tennis. I got to know the best players in the world and learnt more about training systems, how other players think and what mentality is required to reach the top."

Discussing his family's role in that decision, Robles noted the limited tradition for table tennis in Spain and his parents' support: "In Spain, there was not much of a tradition for table tennis. My parents supported me, but I am not sure they knew exactly what kind of future I would have. I am grateful for their support and the freedom they gave me because that allowed me to develop my career, my personality and my character." He added that the move exposed him to people from many countries and cultures: "If I look back, I would do it again. I met people from all around the world... different countries and cultures. I am really happy to have experienced that kind of life."

On the domestic scene, Robles said Spanish table tennis "has developed a lot" and now features a deeper cohort: "Now we have around 20 players competing at a very similar level. They are not yet at the top level, but many are between 100 and 300 in the world and can compete really well." When asked what he would tell a Spanish teenager aiming for a career in the sport, he emphasised individual assessment: "First, it is very important to understand the background of each player — where they come from, which club they belong to, how old they are and what they want to achieve. Everyone is individual and different. That is the first thing I would observe before giving any advice."

Reflecting on career longevity and rankings, Robles said maintaining a top-100 place "is very demanding. For 10 years I have been inside the top 100, and it costs a lot." He stated his current position and past peak exactly: "Now I am No. 67, but before the Olympics, I reached No. 28, which was great for my career. I keep thinking every day about how I can return to my best shape. I hope I can remain at this level for another 10 years." On factors enabling longer careers he observed: "A few things have changed... To perform for many years, there is much more information about taking care of yourself — nutrition, physical preparation and psychology... Look at Robert Gardos, who is 47 and still performing extremely well."

Robles evaluated his six-season involvement in Ultimate Table Tennis as positive for Indian table tennis, saying the league brought foreign experience and accelerated domestic growth: "Now you see how much Indian table tennis has grown. It is crazy. If you compare 2018 with 2026, you can now see how many Indian players are in the top 100, top 50 and top 40." He pointed to concrete examples of the league's impact: "You see youngsters such as Syndrela Das, who was watching from the stands when she was 11 or 12, now playing against players like Manika Batra and even beating them. That comes from a country’s big effort to develop a sport."

Robles closed by restating his Olympic ambition and the personal work behind it: "Everything I am doing is aimed at getting that experience one more time. I know winning an Olympic medal is something really, really difficult... on another level. I will keep fighting to be there and give my best version one more time." His stated objective remains to qualify for and compete at the Los Angeles Olympics.