If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media looking at padel content, you’ve probably seen Frederik Sangill’s work – or at least others’ work that was inspired by his. While all our Spotlights are special to us, this one feels extra special!

About Frederik (@thesangill)

Frederik first discovered padel through casual drop-in sessions at his local club — at the time, the only one in his region – with friends. Like many, those sessions quickly turned into regular games and, soon enough, an obsession. Around the same time, he began experimenting with hobby photography, naturally blending his two interests: padel and creative storytelling.

He started taking unpaid padel photography jobs to improve his craft, and in June 2021 landed his first paid role in the sport. While studying multimedia, Frederik made a bold decision to drop out and join PadelPadel (a new padel club) as a part-time content creator – a role that quickly turned into a full-time position.

Not long after, he was contacted by the Danish Padel Federation and asked to join the national team setup as photographer for the World Padel Championships. That autumn marked his first professional tournament experience, working closely with elite players and delivering content directly to them.

At this stage, Frederik was still focused purely on photography. Video content came later on.

From Photos to Viral Padel Content

The shift began after his second professional event, the Danish Padel Open. Frederik started experimenting with video, slowly at first. By July 2022, he had around 2,000 followers and was gaining roughly 20 per day.

That’s when he made a promise to himself: upload one video per day for the rest of the year.

The mix was roughly 70% highlights and 30% tutorials, long before that format became common like it is now. And it paid off: he gained around 20,000 new followers in just 2 to 3 months. It was then that he realised that this might be the beginning of something great.

The Love for Trickshots

Frederik is open about not being “the best” player in traditional terms – but creativity has always been his edge. Long before padel, he was attempting scissor kicks in football before scoring standard goals, and pushing boundaries in martial arts too, such as in taekwondo and in kung fu.

That instinct carried into padel, especially after watching Tolito Aguirre in the early indoor days (if you’ve never heard of Tolito, you’re in for a treat – check him out).

Trickshots became a way to push the boundaries, a way to do what others couldn’t, even if it meant starting at “level 10” and working backwards to refine fundamentals. It’s “a gift and a curse”, as Frederik puts it, driven by impatience and curiosity.

Why He Created His Social Media Accounts

In the early days, the account showed only highlights – the best moments, the clean shots, the viral clips. Over time, it has evolved. Tutorials, humour, pro highlights, and creative edits entered the mix!

Over the past six months especially, Frederik feels he’s found his true niche: content he’s genuinely proud of, created for the love of creativity rather than jumping on trends.

Frederik told us:

Yes, I still get inspiration from others, but I believe that getting inspiration is great if you can make the content your own.

And for me it has always been important to make content for the love of content and to make people happy. That’s basically it. I really want to give back and make it a community.

Getting Involved & His Advice for Creators

Frederik’s advice for anyone wanting to build a padel community is refreshingly honest:

• Just start

• Don’t worry about what others think

• Experiment until you find what feels right

• Take inspiration, but always make it your own

• Stay true to who you are

• And remember to enjoy the journey

Reflections & Challenges

What stands out most for Frederik isn’t just the growth. It’s the people.

The trips, the messages, the love, the moments of pride in content created – all of it has shaped the journey. The hardest part has been balance: juggling work, relationships, friendships, and creative energy while making tough choices about priorities.

Those challenges, he says, force reflection and critical thinking, and that’s never a bad thing.

Looking Ahead

The future is ambitious but grounded:

• A potential contract with Red Bull, to continue great work with the community here

• Getting more girls into padel

• Meeting the people who support him daily

Follower milestones are exciting – 100k reached (congrats!), 200k next – but for Frederik, numbers have never been the point (as you may have guessed by now): “If I had 1.000 followers that showed love to my content, I would still do the same.”