About Coach Gonzalo

Coach Gonzalo (Gon) first started playing padel as a kid when his parents signed him up for classes in their vacation town. He stopped for a while, but as a teenager, he returned to the sport and never looked back. After some time, he became the CEO of a padel club in the south of Spain. That’s where he began training and developing as a coach. After a few years coaching in Spain, he wanted to challenge himself further, so he moved abroad to master his coaching skills on an international stage. He’s now based in the UAE.

Padel Across the World

Padel is growing rapidly in many regions, including the USA, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean countries, and of course, the Middle East. Coach Gon believes that padel in Dubai shouldn’t be considered a sport that’s “just starting” here — the city already has plenty of clubs, high-level academies, and professional coaches. “Many players there compete at a professional level,” Gontold us, “making Dubai a well-established destination for padel with huge opportunities for players, coaches, and investors alike.”

Coach Insights

For beginners, Coach Gon’s advice is simple: enjoy the journey of improvement. Focus first on consistently returning the ball to the other side of the net. Once you’ve mastered that, work on controlling the ball’s direction, height, depth, and speed. After building a strong foundation with the fundamentals – such as the forehand, backhand, lob, volley, and using the glass walls – then move on to more advanced shots, such as the smash, rulo, bajada, and so on.

Importance of Community

Building a strong community around a club is essential. Facilities should make players feel like they have everything at their fingertips, but it’s just as important to create a welcoming atmosphere. Organising activities such as social matches, americanos, and tournaments helps bring people together. Over time, this builds deeper connections between the club and its members — turning it into more than just a place to play and more than a “club and client” relationship.

Looking Ahead

Gon sees himself as someone who is always eager to learn, grow, and take on new challenges. He’s passionate about travelling, experiencing different cultures, and contributing to the global growth of padel. Looking to the future, he hopes to continue developing his coaching career in new countries, introducing the sport to more people, and helping padel flourish worldwide.

We wish him all the best!