Hola Padel People! As I start writing, I’m on my last day of sport holiday with my family in Spain. If you follow me on Instagram, you are surely aware of this and are probably a little fed up with my vacation spam.
Nonetheless, it has been a great week of sun-worshipping, family time, good food and of course, some padel. My first day here I played a team match with my home club and on the road trip to the opposing club — quaint Totana Tennis Club in the mountains — my teammates asked why I was visiting.
I tried explaining the concept of sport holiday that Swedes practice every year, and I understand why they didn’t really get it. Not only was it because of the slight language barrier, #iknowishouldnothavequitspanishfreshmanyearcollege, but it was also because this break doesn’t exist in Spain. Spaniards simply don’t need a break from the winter dreariness #luxedeluxe that we Swedes so desperately need… #vitaminddeficiency
My coach away from home: Octavio.
During the week, we made frequent visits to the local club Sport Center Montepiedra and their head coach. It is my home club away from Sweden and I absolutely love it. Can’t beat the feeling of walking in early morning to a pink sun rising over the horizon of ocean water and a couple of palm trees and being welcomed with open arms and a big smile from my Costa Blanca coach Octavio Santana. It warms the Swedish cold from my body and also my heart.
This week, my husband #partnerincrime and I worked on technique for our groundstrokes, defense and volleys which is so refreshing since I spend the majority of my days in Sweden nagging at people about their shots and I really need someone to do the same for me! Even if I’m laughed at #toughlove Tomorrow, I will be crawling back into the dark padel caves of Sweden, but I will make sure to take his advice with me to the courts and I will make sure to keep these bright moments in mind…
Surprise padel celebrity amongst the cheerleaders of the home team. Juan Tello!
So, now we are well into 2020 and the tournament season is closing in. Although I’ve taken a nice break from competitions since the SPT Masters, I’ve kept myself close to the game through work, family, league nights #inevitable #lifestyle. Do you have an idea of what padel has in store for you the next 10 months? Around the same time last year, I didn’t know the answer and 2019 turned out pretty well. Now, I sit with the same question… On the competitive side of things, it was just recently decided that Baharak and I may not play together this year for a number of reasons. It’s a bit of a shame seeing that we had a great season together, but at the same time, I’m getting pretty excited about the change up.
Baharak Soleymani gjorde stor succé förra året - men det är högst osäkert om de spelar något tillsammans denna säsong.
As the saying goes… If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. I could easily make a sour face as I bite into that bitter lemon, but instead I’m going to add some sugar, mix it up and make it sweet. #sugarmetaphors #sweettooth Since, I won’t have the continuity of having the same partner throughout the year, I’ve tried planning my padel year well in advance and I must say I’m looking forward to 2020. Some SPTs, hopefully some WPTs, hopefully Team Nationals with a new team, hopefully a World Championship, training camps in Spain, reunions with some former partners and some premieres with new-found padel friends. What can I say, I’ve got a lot of padel love to share, so why not spread that sh*t around?
One more “sour” note is that I am still waiting for my middle child Alex to fully recover from her knee injury. She was swinging her flawless bandejas and volleys here in Spain, so we just need to get her both swinging AND running. But for now, I’ll have to replace that note with a “sweet” one which is the fact that I will start phasing in my youngest child Zoe into the competitive scene. This year, the federation has integrated junior categories into the Swedish Padel Tour, so I’ll have the honor of having her as my tour mascot or maybe I should say she’ll be having me as hers. #myminime
Now, I’m off to enjoy the last moments of my holiday in the sun. See you soon back in Sweden Land!
//Antonette
