Humans of Padel
Join your host Max Marsh Pickard, General Manager of Padel Art & Co founder of The Padel Outlet in a weekly entertaining dive into the world of Padel and the people involved in the industry
Humans of Padel
Navigating the Premier Padel Circuit with Carla Touly | Professional Padel Player
IG:@carlatoulypadel
What if you could learn firsthand about the highs and lows of professional padel from one of the top players in the game? Carla Touly, the number 3 padel player in France and ranked 95th globally, joins us to share her journey through the exhilarating world of professional padel. From the emotional turmoil of the World Cup in Doha to the challenges faced at the P1 tournament in Dubai, Carla candidly discusses her experiences on the international stage, offering listeners a glimpse into the life of a dedicated athlete navigating the rollercoaster of professional sports.
Carla also sheds light on the financial intricacies of a paddle career, where prize money pales in comparison to other sports, highlighting the necessity of sponsorships. We explore the unique advantages and hurdles faced by French players in a sport largely dominated by Spanish talent. Discover the strategic choices athletes often make, like representing other countries for financial stability, and the expenses that come with touring, all impacting a player's performance and longevity in the competitive world of padel.
In a sport built on partnerships, Carla compares the dynamics of padel pairings to romantic relationships, underscoring the importance of having a consistent teammate for success on the court. She opens up about her partnership with Ana and the emotional challenges of maintaining stability amidst competitive pressures. The episode wraps up with a discussion on Carla's potential plans to move to Dubai, drawn by its vibrant paddle scene and networking opportunities, showcasing the power of community in the sport. Join us for an insightful conversation that offers a deep dive into the world of professional padel through Carla's eyes.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Humans of Paddle. I'm your host, max. In this episode, I'm joined by Carlo Tulli, the number 3 French player, number 95 in the world. We have a very interesting conversation about her professional career, about the challenges of being a professional athlete and the financials of being a professional paddle player. I hope you enjoy the episode.
Speaker 2:Nice to meet you.
Speaker 3:Nice to meet you too.
Speaker 2:Thank you for taking the time for come and sit with me today. How was your experience in the P1 in Dubai?
Speaker 3:So the experience at the tournament we lost the first round, so not great, but we played against really tough opponents so they played better than us. And we had to stay in Dubai for a week because we have a new tournament on Sunday in Kuwait. So we had to train and it was not easy to train at the club. So we were super lucky to have people like you, clubs like this one, to be able to train really well and get ready for Kuwait. So the experience in Dubai I have to say I really liked it, even though we didn't win a match. So we were lucky it was in Dubai and not in another country without knowing anyone. So that was, we were a little bit lucky.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, Dubai is crazy about padel. There's a lot of support for the sport and a lot of people want to help and there's a lot of clubs right. So as soon as there are players, everyone gets excited and we're lucky to have you with us. When did you arrive in Dubai?
Speaker 3:We arrived on Sunday, sunday and we played on Monday, and before I was in Doha playing the World Championship for France, so it's been almost 20 days far from home.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of time in the Middle East.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Was it your first time in this region?
Speaker 3:No, I was in not in Dubai in like a city an hour away from Dubai, sharjah. Yes, I played a FIB there. It was, I think, in March but we got sick food poisoning. So it was like I'm never going to come back to Dubai. I hate Dubai. And then people told me it's not Dubai there, so you have to come back. And now I really like it told me it's not Dubai there, so you have to come back. And now I really like it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's very, very different. And how was the World Cup experience for the French team?
Speaker 3:Tough, tough because we were aiming for a medal, because we had the same team as the European Championship two months ago and we did really well. We finished third behind Spain and Italy, but we were really close to beating Italy. So what championship. We were like we're going to beat Italy and we're going to finish third, but in quarterfinals we lost against Portugal and I lost the deciding match, winning 6-1, 3-1, 30-11 against Nogueira she's 30 in the world and another player from Portugal top 100. So they were really tough opponents but we had it, and to be so close to qualify for the semis and we would have played against Spain, so it's like a dream. And we lost and after that it was really tough. We played the next day against Sweden at 9 9 am, after a big loss you finished very late as well.
Speaker 3:We finished late. I couldn't sleep all night because I was like for me the team lost because of me I lost the deciding match. So it was super hard. And then sweden was super tough and I had to play a deciding match again and I lost again. So tough experience. But we finished seventh. So that was not the goal. So we're not happy about it. But it was really nice to play for France and give it all, Because at the end, the quarterfinals against Portugal, it was insane. The girls were singing the national anthem at 5-, five, four in the third. It was like magical. But of course when you lose you forget about and how do you recover from that?
Speaker 2:as a professional athlete, you have those losses and especially playing for your country, it means a lot for you, right? And then the next few days later you you have to be in Dubai and competing again and reset your, your mind. How do you do that?
Speaker 3:um, I mean, for three days I was destroyed. I was not able to sleep. It was really really tough To lose in a normal tournament. We're used to it. You lose and you're done. Then it's the next week. You go back home, you practice here, we cannot go home. We have to play the next day and you lose again. It it's like a never-ending circle.
Speaker 3:And for me, being here in Dubai with really nice people, feeling super welcome, going for nice dinners, being with friends, it's like not a holiday, but it feels like a tournament and also you have time off the court and off the club and you discover new people, new clubs. For me this was really nice and I got really lucky to be in Dubai because, I mean, I just wanted to go home. I was like I don't want to play padel anymore. But I think after a few days and nice dinners and you feel you start to feel better and my friends really they were like you. You have no idea. You, you live my dream, like I would love to be able to, to travel every week and play really nice tournaments and and you have the chance to do it and I know you're sad, but enjoy it because in a few years. You're gonna, you're gonna, you're gonna be like, yeah, I got lucky, but it's a dream. In the moment it's tough, it is true.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, I got lucky, but it is a dream. In the moment it's tough, it is true. I mean, yeah, I think you've done very well to recover and bounce back and be training and everything. But it is a dream, like you said, what you do for other people, but the reality of that, the day-to-day, must be very challenging. I mean, how long have you been a professional paddle player for?
Speaker 3:so paddle player, only two years, but I've been playing tennis for, I think, more than 20 years. So I was traveling a lot. I was playing ITFs. I was traveling every week in tennis too, so I knew how fun and good it was, but how tough it got sometime and when I was 25 I decided to stop tennis because I was feeling super lonely, because in tennis you're alone and I was.
Speaker 3:I wasn't able to bring my coach to the tournaments because it was too expensive, so I was just traveling alone and I loved it at the beginning. But after a few years, after five years on the tour, I was like it's too much and I started to like be like to work in an office doing marketing. I didn't want to do sports anymore and I was like I like to be outside and be traveling, and then paddle for me was I knew I had a partner, so like I wasn't traveling alone anymore and I was like let's, let's try this. And I think when you have a nice partner, like a friend, to be able to travel with a friend, it's, it's so much easier than tennis because, like here I'm, I get along really well with my partner and, being here with her, practicing with her. I'm not alone.
Speaker 2:So I think for me it was a really nice thing and also when you started, maybe freshman, two years ago, the circuit was a lot smaller. Right there was less traveling with tennis, it's all around.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Whereas, at least at the beginning, now it's getting bigger. I mean, you mentioned earlier, you're going to Mexico in two weeks, so the paddle tour is growing and it's becoming more and more global. Do you like that?
Speaker 3:So for me, I started two years ago and last year I was traveling a lot too, so I didn't I didn't really play world paddle tour, so when all the tournaments were in Spain, I wasn't playing yet. So for me, paddle is like tennis it's traveling all over the world every week, and I like it because I love to travel. Now it's the end of the season, so I just want to be home and stop traveling. But I know I love traveling discover new countries, new people, new languages. Like I love traveling, discover new countries, new people, new languages. I love that. And when I don't do it, when I'm in an office, I hate my life. So for me, I know I'm lucky to be traveling for now, but in a few years I would like to calm down a little bit, but for now it's perfect.
Speaker 2:So how do you manage it financially? Because you played qualifiers right, you lose the first round of qualifiers. The prize money in paddle still is not very high. There's not a lot of exposure to the sport. How do you budget yourself and manage your finances to be able to compete in all these tournaments? Do you have support from the french federation?
Speaker 3:so we have the prize money is compared to tennis is nothing, but in paddle we have the price money is compared to tennis is nothing, but in paddle we have the chance to have many sponsors. It's so much easier to find sponsors in paddle than tennis. In tennis I had almost nothing the federation a little bit, but other sponsors nothing. And in paddle I have, I think, five or six already and I've been playing for two years and I have the federation as well. Next year I think they're going to help me more and for me, I have the chance to be also French and not Spanish. So being I'm right now number three in France and I'm making I have way more sponsors than someone, than a Spanish girl top 30 maybe and I'm only 95 in the world because I am lucky to be French, and for Italian, portuguese, french, it's so much easier because if we are top 100 in the world it means we're top 5 in our countries and we have French sponsors.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's great. Yeah, so you're getting more sponsors from… From being French, okay, because there's less competition.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in the country that's interesting, or like Sweden or Holland, like… everything but Spanish or Argentinian.
Speaker 2:When do you think we'll see a non-Spanish or Argentinian team win the World Cup?
Speaker 3:Oof. I mean I think Italy right now is the last against Argentina, but I think they were not close. But we can tell the level is growing in Italyaly and french. We were close to beat italy at the europeans. I think it's coming, but not I mean the next, I don't know five, ten years, and we need time and more players, because right now, I think in every countries, in italy they have four players that only play paddle full-time and the four others they have families, they have jobs and in France too, we have we're only three players in the French team playing paddle every day and traveling every week. The rest is they have a normal job, they have families and they play only in the weekends. So I think other countries, we need more professional players and then it's going to come, but they're still really good.
Speaker 3:I mean Spanish team they have eight players in the team and they are from number one to number 11 in the world. I was talking with my partner. She's Spanish and she was like well, for me getting to the Spanish team, I need to be top 10 in the world.
Speaker 2:Maybe she can play for the UAE.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's another topic. Let's not talk about that. No, we can, we can.
Speaker 2:No, I mean that's another topic that I want to open. No, we can open it. I've discussed it before.
Speaker 3:Yeah, now it's Spanish people are playing. I mean they're getting paid. Really. I mean it's really tough for a Spanish player top 50, like I said to have sponsors. So when they see an opportunity like that, they're like I need to go for it because it's going to pay for maybe one or two seasons and they don't have any sponsors. So if they have to do it, I understand and I don't judge.
Speaker 2:I mean the lifespan of the career isn't that long. I mean longer than tennis, probably, but it's not still not that long you need to monetize that time where you have and you have the visibility.
Speaker 3:That's why, if they are struggling and they are not able to play all the tournaments they would like to play and they have an opportunity. It's hard to say no, but then some players they are like for the Spanish team or never play for it because it's too hard. But I'm not going to go for another country just for the money, it depends. I'm not going to judge, because I'm lucky to be French, I'm in the team, so I have everything and I'm not going to say no, this guy cannot do that.
Speaker 2:I mean, everyone has their reasons. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So let's say, I decide I want to be a professional battle player now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and battle player now, yeah, and I want to do a year on the tour. I want to go to all the tournaments, yeah. How much money do you think I need? I think it depends if you want to bring your coach, your physio, it depends, but I think in between 40 000 to can go to a lot more, but I would say between 40 and 80 if you want your stuff with yeah yeah, so that would be.
Speaker 2:What like flights accommodations?
Speaker 3:Yeah, training and also when you're home. If you want to have a nutritionist, a mental coach, I mean you can have so many things. Yeah you can be like Djokovic and fly private jets to all the tournaments. Yeah, it depends.
Speaker 3:I mean, if you want to fly business because I mean, I'm going to Mexico in two weeks and I'm not going to fly business because I cannot, and I have to stop in Madrid and then to stop in Mexico City and like many stops. And, of course, if, if you have more budget, you, you, you buy a direct flight, not even business, and it's maybe 1,000 or 2,000 more, but you arrive to the tournament and you, you're less tired you're fitter, you're fresher, so it also affects your performance when you arrive, doesn't it so that?
Speaker 2:balance between financially savvy and then also peak performance is a hard balance to find for you, I guess. I guess you learned that with the years on the floor as well.
Speaker 3:For sure. But sometimes you have to go to Mexico and you don't have the choice to have a 24-hour trip and some people with more budget, more sponsors, they're going to get a direct flight. It's going to cost more, but they can do it. They can afford it, but do you?
Speaker 2:have to go to Mexico. Are you contractually obliged to go to Mexico?
Speaker 3:No, I'm not. But if I want to get better and win points and improve my ranking, I have to go. Because Mexico is is a major, so it's like a grand slam in tennis and it's only four years, so it's one in doha at the beginning of the year, one in roma, in italy, in paris, french open and then mexico. So if you don't go to mexico and you've been playing all the tournaments all year, you're a little bit, even if it's the end of the year, you're tired, you don't want to travel. You have to go, because if you win one match, it's many, many points.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it makes sense. It's that race, isn't it? It's the constant race for the points.
Speaker 3:But no, if I want to go on a holiday and don't go to Mexico, I can, but then I better quit to Mexico?
Speaker 2:I can, but then I better quit then. So what's the goal for you? Like you moved to paddle two years ago.
Speaker 3:What's the five-year plan? So my dream in tennis was always to be top 100, and I couldn't do it. My best ranking was 500 and so my goal when I started paddle was to make it to the top 100 once in my life a little revenge with with tennis. And I did it. It was in March, I think, first time top 100. And after that I was like I don't want to have any ranking goals because in tennis I know it's. It was a lot of pressure. I was putting so much pressure on myself with winning matches, ranking goals and it was like negative pressure. So when I started paddling I was like this one goal, top 100, and then I will see if I'm 80, 50, 20. I don't care, I just want to enjoy as long as I can and let's see how far I can go, but I don't want to put any limits or goals.
Speaker 2:So you're just enjoying the process. I want to be free, yeah yeah, yeah, okay, that's so.
Speaker 3:You're just enjoying the process. Yeah, yeah, okay. Yeah, that's great. It's less pressure and also I know paddle for me. I don't take it the same way as tennis was my life. I thought I had only tennis and that's it paddle for me. When I started, I wanted to learn spanish. That was also a goal, so now I can speak spanish. So I think I'm I'm really happy about that and also I know it's an experience for my future. I would love to love to work to help developing paddle in France or in the world, and I know being able to travel to all the best tournaments, meet all the best players it's going to help me for my future.
Speaker 2:You're building a great network.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:And meeting.
Speaker 3:I think paddle is about. Every time I play paddle and I meet someone that loves paddle, there is a connection. It's like passionate people, and I love to be able to talk to people that enjoy the sport, and I think that's why, after paddle, after playing paddle, I would like to stay in this paddle world.
Speaker 2:There's so much opportunity in the sport industry. I mean when I was very young, my dream was to be a tennis player. Like 99.9 percent of them, I didn't make it not even close yeah um, but I'm working in the sports industry and I love it and I enjoy it and I I benefit very well from the sports industry as well financially, and I'm very happy with it and I enjoy watching, I enjoy supporting I don't envy you like I don't envy the players anymore every now and again, like it would be nice, you know, but I've been watching paddle for four days and I'm exhausted.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just watching it yeah, yeah, I know but to be there playing, competing and thinking, the guys coming from the world cup straight into a tournament and then another tournament next week and then other side of the world like it's uh, it's crazy yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm doing.
Speaker 3:I'm doing it now because I know I like it, I love it, but it's really tough sometimes and I know I'm preparing my future. That's also like why I do it. When I lose a match, I'm like super sad for a few hours. In tennis it was a few weeks, now it's a few hours. I'm getting better. And then I'm like, okay, it's really bad, I lost, I spent so much money on the flight. It's really bad, I lost, I spent so much money on the flight and I'm going to have to stay for a week spending so much. But it's going to be good for my future. I'm trying to see further than just winning or losing, because it's too tough.
Speaker 2:How do you manage that relationship with your partner? So currently you're playing with Anna. How long have you two been playing together?
Speaker 3:It's the second tournament, it's very recent. We played one tournament in Spain three weeks ago, first tournament together, and we played. It was the best tournament of the year for both of us. We played amazing. We were like, oh, let's keep going. Dubai was the second. We didn't play bad, but I think we could have done better. And now I think until the end of the year we're going to play together and for me, having a partner for four or five tournaments we planned like five tournaments doesn't matter how it goes. It's the first time, because when you start paddle I mean my first year I didn't know anyone, only French players, but they don't even play on the Tour. So I was changing every week and this tour was very tiring. Every week before the deadline I was like do you want to play with me Without even knowing the players?
Speaker 2:So you just showed up to the tournament and you're playing with someone you've never played with.
Speaker 3:With someone I don't know and I've never practiced with. It's a surprise and mentally this is exhausting because you never know what to expect. And now I know we're going to Kuwait with Ana. We played two tournaments already together. We know it doesn't matter if we play good or bad, we're going to keep going. It's like a project and mentally it's like okay, I have this and I can focus on other things when you have to. It's like Tinder you text.
Speaker 1:Instagram you DM?
Speaker 3:someone and you're like, do you want to play with me in this tournament? And she's like she's checking your ranking, okay, your results okay, okay, let's try one. And it's really tough. So I think it's really nice to have a project and for next year I'm gonna look for something like that, because I don't want to be changing every week.
Speaker 2:It's and it's very hard for you to compete against pairs that have been playing together for six months a year and to come in with a new partner and try and compete with that.
Speaker 3:It's very, very difficult sometimes it's like like for us in spain three weeks ago. It was magical, everything works and it's like okay. But sometimes it's not like that and you're like okay, I really like this girl, but we're not made, we're not gonna play together because the game style is it's not so when you agree to play together.
Speaker 2:Is it just a verbal contract like confirmation?
Speaker 3:yeah there's no written no, and then how do?
Speaker 2:you go about parting ways, like let's say, we play together. It doesn't work out just thank you, bye, or um.
Speaker 3:For me, because I didn't have a long project, it was easy to say bye. It's like a one week relationship with your girlfriend or boyfriend. After a week it's easier to say I don't want that. But, of course, project like maybe ari and paola the number one they've been playing together for I don't know three, two or three years. When I started paddle they were already playing together. The day they're gonna have to split ways, it's gonna be like breaking up. It's like a breakup. Yeah, like in a in a love relationship. I think it's really like that, even more in when there is friendship involved. I had this with French partners and if the first times I was like I wasn't ready for that, I was like it's heartbreaking, it's. It's really intense because at the end you, you share so much on the court, outside of the court, you're traveling, it's like super intense and then it's a breakup.
Speaker 2:So because, it's true, it's not just on the court right, you're traveling it's like super intense and then it's a breakup Because it's true, it's not just on the court, right? You're spending time outside the court, in the hotels, in the flights. You need to get along outside as well, right? If?
Speaker 3:that person's annoying you outside the court, it's going to be hard to perform. Yeah, or many players I mean I don't know if it's many, but they don't get along at all outside of the court and they don't spend time together. One is going somewhere, the other one, and they just meet on the courts. I think it's better to do that than trying to like do everything with someone you don't like, and sometimes the game style is perfect. Yeah, it's working perfectly on the court, but then outside it's like ice and and fire. Like you don't you, you cannot with the person.
Speaker 2:It's a work relationship right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, and I know some players they work like that. They hate, they don't like each other outside of the court, but then when they play together, all good.
Speaker 1:So yeah, business is business.
Speaker 3:It's a good learning, I think. For me, padel was Tennis was more like individual sport and it was helping me to grow up as a person. But paddle is helping me to learn friendships. You have to be with people all the time and it's really good learning outside of the court as well.
Speaker 2:So when did the season start?
Speaker 3:It started mid-February.
Speaker 2:Mid-February.
Speaker 3:And it's going to end mid-December.
Speaker 2:So what are you going to do between mid-December and February next year?
Speaker 3:So first one week or 10 days without paddle holidays, at home to be with my family. And then January we have like six, eight weeks of pre-season where we practice every day and we get ready for the season. But then the pre-season we don't travel, so we spend so much time on the court, but without all the traveling. So I really like pre-season time.
Speaker 2:Nice and since February this year, how much time have you spent at home?
Speaker 3:Home in France with my family. I spent, I think, four days in August. We had a break and then that's it. My family came whenever I was playing tournaments in France French championships, tournaments like that they tried to come, and my brother came once in France French championships tournaments like that they try to come, and my brother came once in Barcelona. But I'm always all around. So either they come to the tournaments to see me or I see them four days in August and sometimes Christmas. But the last three years I couldn't even do Christmas with them because I had to be working and make money. So I know it's a few years like that and I really hope I really want something like in five, eight years. I want to be home for Christmas. I want to have a normal family, but for now I'm enjoying being away as well. I miss my family, but I know I really lucky to to see so many things. So, and they know and they know I'm happy, so they are so much support.
Speaker 2:You have their support and they know it's. You're doing this for a number of years, right?
Speaker 3:this isn't gonna be your life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you're still doing this when you're 65?
Speaker 3:I'd be very impressed maybe I will because I love it, but I think I would die before because mentally and physically it's not possible.
Speaker 2:What would you say is more challenging? Is it more challenging mentally or physically?
Speaker 3:Paddle, I think it's more mentally because the court is not that big. You're always playing doubles, I would say tennis it can be really. It can get really hard physically. But for me, paddle, I think for now it's more mentally, for sure, and also of course when you're tired physically it's harder mentally too. But I think for me it's more mentally. I mean especially now at the end of the year after World Championships. Physically I could, if you tell me tomorrow to run a marathon, I think I can do it, but physically and mentally I don't know. It's more the head for sure.
Speaker 2:So let's say, I want to sponsor you, I'm a company, I like paddle, I want more exposure in paddle and I want to sponsor Carla Tulli. How do I do that and how much is it going to cost me?
Speaker 3:How much? One million, no, no, no. For now, all the sponsors I have, I can give them something in return and I love that. I wouldn't like. I mean, of course, if you tell me I give you one million and I want nothing, it's hard to say no, but I really like to be able to, to be working together. So I have hotels. For example, whenever I'm staying in a hotel in France, I have a company it's a brand with like 50 hotels in France. They have some everywhere, almost big cities, and every time I play a tournament in France, I I'm staying at their place and then I can post something saying I'm here at the hotel and I post pictures, videos, and then they come to watch me play, and then it's. I think this way it's really nice. And then how much, I don't know because, for example, right now I have many sponsors that don't give me money. They give me like, not like, not cash.
Speaker 3:They I stay at their place for free, or I get food for free, or like a barter agreement yeah, so it doesn't cost them much and for me I'm saving monies and I love this, this way of it's a win-win yeah, I like when it's a win-win and of course I need money. But for this I have another sponsor and it was very clear before I even started to play paddle. They were like we're gonna help you.
Speaker 3:It's like, um, someone who's helping you with everything, with the rent a patron of the sport yeah, like a mentor, a mentor, and so I am lucky to have one person like that and then all the other sponsors there. It's like a win-win and I wouldn't know how much if it depends. Also, my needs. If tomorrow I want my coach to be traveling to all the tournaments I'm gonna have, I'm gonna need cash and I'm gonna ask for 20,000 at least so my coach can come half of the year or something like that. So it depends. If I have, I meet a sponsor and they offer me, they want to help, I'm gonna be okay. If you give me this, I'm gonna add that and I'm gonna be able to like, maybe also improve more. Like I couldn't tell you right now, like I need to think what do I need?
Speaker 2:It's very hard because this is something that's more of a business side to it, right. You're an athlete, but this is pitching to people. It's a completely different business. You need to manage that yourself.
Speaker 3:I mean I could have an agent. But I think I also like this business part, because having an agent I don't know, maybe I didn't meet the right one yet, but I I love when it's a win-win and I think when there is a third person involved, then this person, of course, is gonna need something and it's gonna try to like make something out of it. And I don't think it's super healthy anymore and I prefer to talk directly with the brand and then share the ideas and then try to like grow together. That's I really like. When, when with the sponsors I have right now, I'm super happy because I feel I'm helping them and they feel they have. They are helping me and this is a really good feeling. So I like to.
Speaker 2:That's a positive approach and that will benefit you so much more in the long run, because you're giving back and if you're willing to give a little bit, you will receive so much more yeah, exactly for those of you listening to this. Who does want to sponsor?
Speaker 3:Carla, we can find ideas together.
Speaker 2:I'll put your Instagram underneath anyway. I wanted to ask you. So, what do you think is the difference between you as number 93 in the world?
Speaker 3:Number 95, I think. But thank you.
Speaker 2:You're welcome, I'll give you the two spaces After.
Speaker 3:quite, I'm going to be.
Speaker 2:So the difference between you number 95 in the world and a top 10 player?
Speaker 3:I mean for me for sure it's time. I need more time to learn how to play paddle, because I come from tennis and even between me and my partner we play. We have two game styles that are completely different. She's letting all the balls go off the glass and I'm trying to do it more, but I'm playing so much better before the glass. So for me, I'm going to learn how to play real paddle with time. It's been only two years and I'm'm trying and I know what I have to do.
Speaker 3:But it's when you've been playing 20 years in other sports. It's really hard to change in two years. And the top 10 players, they've been playing for at least 10 years and they started when they were really young. So for me for sure, it's time. And then also I mean so many girls top 10. They have big, big talents. It's like in tennis, not everyone can be top 10. You have to have something else. It's either like the forehand, the backhand, but even like the, the motivation, the hard work, so many things. And I think I have a few things. Maybe I don't have half the thing Ari Sanchez has, but I have things and I'm going to see until where I can go. Maybe not top 10, maybe top 50, but let's see.
Speaker 2:I look forward to following this journey of you thank you. Carla, thank you for having this conversation. It was a pleasure to get some insights into the professional tour. I wish you all the best in Kuwait thank you so much in Mexico and enjoy your time off, and I look forward to having you back here. Yeah, in Dubai whenever you want, you're always welcome. Thank you, carla I wanted to add of course.
Speaker 3:I really like Dubai and I'm already looking for not places to buy, but I would like to maybe spend one or two years in Dubai after a paddle, because I think I mean I've heard they have 80 paddle clubs in Dubai and it's a city of 80 kilometers, so it's like it's more than that.
Speaker 2:From this point, there's over 100 paddle courts in a three kilometer radius.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's crazy. I saw I can feel that paddle here is really big and I really like the city, so so, yeah, help me find an apartment.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll put you in contact with Paul. You met Paul yesterday actually.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:He was my previous guest on the podcast. He was a coach here.
Speaker 3:We played with him, we beat him, you beat him. So now he owes you and he's gone into real estate so he can help you. Ah, perfect, there you, there you go. Amazing connecting people. Yeah, that's why I love Kala thank you, kala.
Speaker 2:Have a lovely day and all the best for the future. Thank you thank you.