“…and padel came along”
Argentina has provided padel with some of the best players in its history. Many, like Eduardo, started with tennis before switching to padel. There was and still is a lot of talent in the South American country, but the possibilities of progressing in the padel business were and remain in Europe, mainly in Spain.
That’s where Eduardo Ladeveze emigrated to in 2003. “I was coaching tennis, at a high level, and padel came along. I played it alone with friends, for fun, but after a while I decided to dedicate myself to padel and compete. A moment came when I understood that I needed a change in my life. The opportunity to work in Madrid came up, I took it and had an incredible acceptance, and I continued competing at a local level and advancing in my coaching career.”
Eduardo Ladeveze is smiling today, even though he went through hard times. “The pandemic touched me a lot psychologically, because I spent three months feeling useless, without leaving home, unable to bring in money and facing up to the impossibility of producing and feeling alive.”
But that is behind him now, and he is focused on promoting the sport. “I am very proud of my professional growth and the amount of good people I have met through padel,” the Argentinean says. “Padel is a sport with a great future. I think it was lucky to grow in Spain, a country with a lot of tourism. Foreigners got to know it and exported it to their countries. I think it is a sport that in the near future will be a success, wherever it is.”
Spreading the padel gospel
While Eduardo still enjoys playing, he sees his future as spreading the padel gospel. “After so many years, what I would like is for my work, my teaching and management style to be recognised. I would like to travel the world transmitting my knowledge and experience in the sport. And for my body to allow me to continue playing at an acceptable level, of course.”
Among the good memories he can draw on is having worked in Japan, a country different in many ways to his native Argentina. “It was a wonderful experience. I’ve been lucky enough to travel three times and train there in different cities. Padel in Japan is growing and the people are liking it a lot.”