From tennis to the international circuit
Dora Chamli came to padel from tennis, discovering the sport when it was still in its early stages in Tunisia. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a real passion, and as padel started to grow locally, she decided to train seriously and commit fully.
Her competitive path has followed the sport’s own expansion. She began on the Tunisian circuit, moved onto the international stage through the French circuit, and then shifted her focus to FIP tournaments. Step by step, that journey has shaped her both as an athlete and as a person, and it continues to fuel her ambition to represent her region at the highest level.
Discipline, resilience, humility, consistency
Dora’s mission reaches beyond her own results. She wants to inspire young athletes, and girls in particular, to believe they can compete internationally regardless of where they come from.
Her core values are discipline, resilience, humility and consistency. In her words, it comes down to “trusting the process, staying grounded, and always respecting the sport.”
The biggest challenge has been balance. Daily training, frequent travel and competition demand real sacrifice and commitment, and fitting that around her personal life and work is not easy. She is clear-eyed about it: managing those responsibilities is also part of what makes the journey so meaningful.
The people behind the player
Asked about her favourite part of the journey, Dora points to the people around her – those who never stopped believing in her and continuously pushed her to aim higher. Their support, she says, has made a huge difference throughout her career.
She shares that journey most actively on Instagram, with tournament highlights, intense training sessions and a view of life on the international circuit. She is actively working on growing her visibility and creating more engaging content, with the aim of bringing the padel community even closer to her journey, both on and off the court.
Number one, and enjoying it
Her main focus this year is to keep improving her level, progressing mentally and physically while competing regularly on the international circuit and improving her ranking. What excites her most is the daily work and the opportunity to keep challenging herself at a higher level.
For 2026, the priority is to maintain her position as the number one player in Tunisia, Africa and the Arab world. Above all, though, she wants to enjoy every step of the journey, and to always play “with the same joy and love that made me fall in love with padel in the first place.”
