Origin Stories: How the Best Padel Players Began
All big names in padel came from somewhere. Here are three stories of struggles and triumphs of the best padel players of today and where they began their journey.
Even the best players started somewhere. Often, we tend to dehumanize our idols because of the particular level they have already reached in their respective careers. This also applies to the elite padel players. These star athletes have had struggles and humble beginnings. Ac combination of hard work, dedication, and a little bit of luck have made them the champions they are today.
If you’re in a slump and you need a little bit of push to motivate you, we have you covered. Thepadelmagazine brings you the stories of the best athletes in padel tennis as they crawled their way to the top.
1. Paquito Navarro (Francisco Navarro Compán)
Today, Spanish player Paquito Navarro is currently one of the best and most famous and influential padel players worldwide. But he wasn’t always the bigshot he is now.
At 31, with great 26 years of experience. Navarro has been a professional padel player for 11 years. Fans like to call him “The Hurricane,” and for a good reason. He hits and smashes past opponents like a hurricane.
Navarro started with padel at the tender age of 5. He started joining tournaments only at 9 years old. He has devoted his career as an athlete to padel but critics would say that with his skills, he’d easily top other sports as well.
Watch this video to see Paquito Navarro in his natural habitat- slaying hit after hit in the padel court:
His current playing partner is Pablo Lima. Both a dear friend and a rival who is the current number 1 player in the world.
2. Sanyo Gutierrez (Carlos Daniel Gutierrez)
Sanyo Guiterrez is a 36-year-old Argentinian and former number-one padel player in the world. He’s also considered one of the greatest players in the sport. His dedication and tactical skills are well known worldwide and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Unlike some of his colleagues, Carlos is considered a late bloomer. He started playing padel when he was 11 years old after taking his father’s advice to try the sport. He entered the professional league at 15, and the rest is history. But before padel, this star athlete actually dabbled in tennis and football.
Today, his current playing partner is Franco Stupaczuk. Watch this short video to see how Sanyo Gutierrez lights the court ablaze with his power moves:
3. Marta Marrero
Last but not least, we have Marta Marrero. Marta is undoubtedly one of the greatest female padel players worldwide, lighting the beacon for women in this sport.
Marrero has been fond of racket sports since she was a child. Her athletic career started at local Spanish tennis clubs, and she turned professional at 15 in 1998. Her entry into the padel world was a switch from tennis. Marrero ranked as WTA’s (Women’s Tennis Association) 47th best player for a while before switching to professional padel in 2015 after a 5-year-long pause. As of 2019, she is the best female padel player. Her duo is Paula Josemaría Martin, a left-handed player. Both of these women are incredible beasts in the padel court.
Watch this short video to see the fantastic plays in padel made by Marta Marrero:
These elite athletes are the cream of the crop. They have spent most of their lives honing their skills, and the journey to the top indeed wasn’t a piece of cake.
