A Padel Traveller’s Tale
To be a professional padel player from a non-traditional padel country in 2023 is to be witnessing a small slice of history in the making.
As I make my way in my chosen career - playing padel on the international tours whilst so many of my friends and contemporaries are finishing University and trying to get ‘real jobs’ - I feel like I’m in a hugely privileged position to get to pursue my passion and also to be one of a select few to represent my country as part of the Team GB Men’s Padel Team. But not only that, beneath the surface, I get to be one of a handful at the top of the British game to inspire future generations of kids to get into this truly unique sport. I’m very grateful and honoured for the opportunity I’ve been afforded, and the hard work I put in, to fulfill this role for the future of British padel.
Without wanting to be too grand about it, there’s a handful of us in this privileged position that get to try and inspire a nation that, I hope, in 5 or 10 years will have padel more widely available in schools, at more clubs and as part of a bigger UK system that wasn’t in place when I was growing up. And to get to carry this responsibility whilst training and competing in Spain - the true beating heart of padel today - is an experience I’m relishing.
And I’ve relished travel since the I left home at 16 because it’s made me who I am today and, five years from now, the destinations where I play padel and the nations I may be fortunate to live in because of padel, will have helped me develop into the person I will become.
As someone that gets to travel with his work, I’m hugely motivated by travel and the opportunity it has to enrich my life culturally, personally and professionally. I’m able to learn from others on and off the padel court and that’s something I’ve been able to benefit from for six years now.
At the age of 16, when I left the only place I truly knew which was my home county of Essex in England, for Marbella in Spain. Living in my home away from home without my parents there looking after me, learning how to cook for myself, clean and do my own laundry, these things were definitely a shock to the system for a 16-year-old. But it did make me grow up faster and gave me some valuable life lessons at a young age. On top of all that, I got to meet new people, see a new culture and be in the true home of padel.
Moving to Barcelona after a year of living in Marbella was when I started to take the sport more seriously, and so iI went to a proper sports academy which specialised in tennis and padel where I woke up and trained in padel and fitness for about six or seven hours every day. Competing in the Catalan circuit and being around such dedicated and focused athletes was a really cool experience and a lesson in how the best trained – I learnt a lot from that experience. Being on court that much really helped me improve and develop my game to the next level, too.
After four years of being in Barcelona, I moved to Dubai which was a transformational experience as, with Britain departing the European Union, I needed to look at new, easy locations to train internationally and the UAE had fast-tracked itself as one of the world’s best locations in which to train and play padel. So many clubs and courts were opening and every single one of them were high quality facilities. By training with the best players living in Dubai, making a lot of great connections and meeting some amazing people, I think it’s fair to say Dubai is my favourite place.
Today, I’m loving living in the Spanish capital, Madrid where I train three or four hours each day in an academy called Diagonal, which is where some of the best players in the world ply their trade. It has been such an amazing experience to be on court with the best and to get used to seeing such a great rhythm and having sparring partners. With great coaches and great players all over the city, it’s clear to see why Madrid is the true hub of padel and I feel very fortunate to be able to train with such a high quality level of competition. Being part of a vibrant city with its Spanish culture, architecture and restaurant scene is amazing, and I’m enjoying my time there so far.
And whilst I live my life in Madrid, every month that passes, I get to see this sport grow around me and feel the immense privilege that goes with riding this wave - for British padel, and for players of my generation from any emerging padel nation. We’re part of a unique club and, in our own small way, making our own bit of history for this sport. And for British sport.
