The prophecy that nobody believed about the Catalan who dominates world padel

BarcelonaWhen she was just nine years old, Ari Sánchez started playing padel at the Reus Monterols Tennis Club. From very early on, everyone realised that she had a talent with a paddle, but no one ever imagined that she would end up becoming the best player in the world. The paddle was bigger than her. Often compared to Roger Federer for her elegance, but also to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario for her fighting ability, the Reus native has made consistency her great virtue.

Sánchez and her partner, Paula Josemaría, had to win 20 consecutive matches to take the top spot in the world rankings. "When I became world number 1, I felt immense joy. It was a very emotional moment, because I achieved the thing I had fought for all my life. I have had many bad moments during my career, but it has been from these situations that I have learned best to find myself in a stretch."

"I'm very competitive, and that's helped me get to where I am now," says Sánchez, who has had an impressive 2024. In addition to maintaining her world number 1, the Catalan was proclaimed world champion with the Spanish national team and won 10 titles in pairs tournaments on the Premier Padel Circuit, culminating in the Premier Padel Finals held in Barcelona. "The year 2024 was very tough, because all our rivals wanted to beat us, but we haven't lost our ambition," she says. Sánchez and Josemaría, who have been together for five seasons, are the couple with the most titles in professional padel.

The Department of Sports of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia (UFEC) and the newspaper Sport Sánchez was awarded the prize for best sportswoman of the year during the Catalan Sports Festival, which was held on Wednesday. "Receiving the prize was very important for me, but also for padel. I am very happy. I would like to share the prize with my family, my team and my partner," she says. The Catalan beat Aitana Bonmatí (football) and Bea Ortiz (water polo) in the final vote.

When she was still a teenager, she went five years without losing a set with her partner, Marta Ortega. In 2016, she began her great rise in the World Padel Tour. Sánchez's current form is very good. The Reus native, who a few days ago was proclaimed champion of the Riyadh Season P1 in Riyadh, wants to continue improving. "I hope we can finish the year on a high note," says the world champion, who a few years ago began studying physiotherapy in Bellaterra.

His is a generation that has learned to associate the racket with a closed court, and that has not come to paddle tennis from tennis. "It is not decisive, but it is true that I started with a 100% paddle mentality," he says. Over the years, his game has gained solvency. "Before I would rush into some points. Now I look for a more refrain," he admits. Sánchez has learned to stabilize the blows without losing aggressiveness. Control of the center of gravity, waiting to attack the ball, the frequency of the feet, the impact zone or the angle of exit of the paddle are details that help him make the difference.

"A very social sport"

Padel has been growing for years. "The key is that it is a very social sport and easy to play. You don't need to have a very good technique to pass the ball to the other side. Many participants take advantage of it to have a beer when they finish playing... It's very catchy and, in addition, it's very attractive. When I started I was 9 years old and it was a sport that almost nobody knew about," explains Sánch.