Padel, game and strategy: stories and tips by Marcelo Capitani

Padel, game and strategy: stories and tips by Marcelo Capitani

30 years as a professional padel player and 25 as a coach and coach: Marcelo Capitani was number 20 in the world, more than 10 times Grand Slam champion, Italian champion in 2020 and 2021 and European champion (with the Italian national team) in 2019. Current Italian N^1 in the FITP ranking in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 vintages. A long and exciting sporting career, which at 46 years of age has not yet stopped and which today also sees him as a selector and coach of the Italian Under national team.

Exclusively for the FLOKY Community, he tells us about his love story with padel and reveals some tips for anyone who wants to approach this increasingly popular sport.

You have been playing padel for thirty years. How did you approach this sport? What’s your story?

I was born with a racket in my hand. I started playing tennis when I was 4 years old: my parents had a tennis camp in Santa Fe, Argentina, where I was born. At 15 I got to know padel and I fell in love with it, becoming at that age N^1 Argentine Juniores. At 17 I turned professional in Argentina: we still played with a wooden racket. I’ve made it to the quarterfinals a couple of times. At 27 I moved to Spain, I did 13 seasons with the World Padel Tour and I became number 20 in the world. I played with internationally renowned athletes, such as Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutierrez. I have had a very long career and I also owe this to my teammates on the court: padel is a team sport, you have to find the right partner and I was lucky. Today I am in Italy and I am very happy that padel is spreading here too. I would like to be able to bring him to the level he deserves: we have all the cards in hand to reduce the gap with Argentina and Spain, today at the forefront of this sport. The future of our sport is in the boys and the Federation is doing a great job with them. If the boys are on the pitch, sport is vital and has a future.

How did it feel to win your first game? And the first important competition?

Wearing the blue jersey was a great emotion. I had a lot of satisfaction playing for the national team and representing Italy in two European Championships: in one we were champions (in Rome in 2019) and in the other runners-up (in Spain in 2021): a very high emotion, like never before in my career. When you wear the national team jersey, you don’t play for yourself, but for all of Italy. You know that all of Italy sees you. Many former footballers with very high visibility, such as Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Dario Marcolin, as well as well-known personalities of the rank of Gianluca Vacchi, are in love with padel and cheer for the national team, send support videos and this gives us the charge.

You have been a padel master and coach for 25 years. What does it mean for you to train and bring more and more people closer to this sport?

I try to motivate people to train and play, because padel is a very fun sport, but it also has a highly strategic component. At first it doesn’t seem like it, but when you start to make a path, when you really get into the sport, it becomes more and more difficult to understand the technique and tactics. Padel requires a whole preparation that until a few years ago was unthinkable. It is becoming an elite sport, increasingly professional, with increasingly high sponsorships and prize money.

How does your training week work?

I am 46 years old and I am playing as a professional on the Italian circuit: nutrition is fundamental for me and must be taken care of as much as possible. As for the actual training, I do 1-2 days in the gym with the athletic trainer and in the others I do specific exercises to prevent injuries, increase flexibility, endurance and elasticity. I’m so happy to have met the FLOKY socks, since I started using them I don’t want to take them off. They make me gain 20-30% stability in the foot, with huge effects on performance as well. Not having them now would be like using the racket without grip: something would be missing. When I participate in a tournament, before I even start I prepare 4-5 pairs of FLOKY socks of different colors, one for each game, and I hope to be able to use them all because it means that I get to the final!

Your favorite moment in training and in the game.

My favorite time during the week is when I wake up, eat breakfast, and wait to go to the gym to work out. It gives me the peace of mind of knowing that I’m doing things right, that I’m preparing properly for the race that is on the weekend. In the match my favorite moment is when the first set ends because there I really feel inside the match, I observe what happens and I understand what I have to change. At that moment I feel that I am doing what I like and I try to do it to the best of my ability.

And after a game, after training? How do you regain your strength?

I stretch, eat well and I’m already thinking about the next race. But without neglecting rest, which is very important.

In addition to physical training, is there also mental training in your preparation to keep you going?

Before a game I always try to visualize on a mental level all its development: how it will start, how it will develop, how it will be compared with the opponents. I think about the things I would like to happen. By visualizing them I can make them real and it becomes easier to make them. It’s something they teach in tennis and football too: take a moment when you’re most energized and motivated to visualize how you want the match to go.

In a match, how do you overcome critical moments?

In those moments I try to observe what is happening, to understand together with my partner what we can change to reverse the situation. It’s not easy, because the opponent knows it: if he’s above the score it’s because he’s playing better than you. Sometimes you don’t have to change anything, it’s just that the others play better and you can’t do anything about it. But other times you have to know how to change plans, understand what is happening, what the mood is and what can be done differently to improve the result.

What would you recommend to those who play padel?

Padel has become a much-loved sport for those who need to let off steam after a long day at the office, but you should avoid entering the court directly after work, without a warm-up. Joint and muscle mobilization is very important, especially in winter! My advice to everyone is to try this sport, because it is a lot of fun, but without neglecting physical preparation. This means taking care of hydration and never skipping the warm-up, to improve performance but above all to avoid injuries.

Have you ever been tempted to hang up your racket? What motivated you to continue?

Of course, a lot of times! Especially when I traveled alone by car to play on the World Padel Tour: I traveled 900-1000 km away to go and play in Seville, Barcelona, Madrid. When I lost and went home alone I was often tempted to give up everything. When you’re frustrated, it’s easy to lose motivation. Then I thought: even the number ones lose! So I continued to work and insist, doing what I liked. My advice for those who are facing these doubts is not to give up, to accept that moments like these will inevitably be there, and rather to reason and think that even the game you lose is part of growth and indeed it is essential to become more experienced and better players.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I really enjoy playing tennis, reading books and watching Formula 1. I have a real passion for Formula 1: I like to study car engineering, even if I don’t understand anything about it. Another passion is playing football. But the reality is that I also like to stay on the couch, rest and watch Netflix.