From Tennis to Padel: Ukraine's Sporting Evolution

Slava, a former tennis coach who recently returned to Ukraine from Dubai, shares his journey of becoming the coach of Ukraine's women's national padel team and his insights on how the sport is growing despite wartime challenges.

• Padel is rapidly growing in Ukraine with 6-7 clubs currently open and more planned, despite the ongoing war
• In Odesa, just two courts serve the entire city and remain booked solid for two weeks in advance
• Around 70-80% of new padel players in Ukraine have no previous tennis experience
• Slava prefers coaching padel over tennis due to its vibrant atmosphere and less physically demanding nature
• The Ukrainian Padel Federation organizes weekly tournaments and has appointed Slava as head coach of the women's national team
• Land costs (approximately $500,000) present a major challenge for opening new padel clubs in Ukraine
• Ukraine will compete in the European Championship qualifications in Madrid this July
• Many Ukrainian football stars including Andrei Shevchenko are embracing padel
• Slava sees padel as "a very intelligent game" requiring strategic thinking and tactical awareness

Transcript

Introduction to Slava & Ukraine's Padel

Speaker 1 0:00

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Humans of Paddle. I'm your host, max. In this episode, I'm joined by Slava, my good friend from Ukraine, who recently returned to Ukraine and became a paddle coach. He's also the coach of the women's national team in Ukraine. We discuss the development of paddle in Ukraine, the challenges that they're facing and also the expectations for growth of the sport in the country and around the world. I hope you enjoy the episode and have a great day. So, slava, welcome back to Dubai, thank you. What brings you here again? Birthday party of my son. Very nice. Last time I saw you, you had kind of started your paddle journey. You were playing here in Dubai and then you moved back to Ukraine. Why did you move back to Ukraine?

Speaker 2 0:40

Because it was very difficult to stay in Dubai with a big family. So I had three kids and wife and it was tough to earn money and stay here. It's a very expensive country, so that's why I had to move back to Ukraine. It's true.

Speaker 1 1:00

It's only one reason. And what have you been doing in Ukraine since you went back? I started to teach paddle.

Speaker 2 1:06

Yes, first time I teach tennis and paddle 50-50. And now I have only one time a week tennis, really, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:17

Paddle is really growing in Ukraine.

Speaker 2 1:19

Yes, yes, paddle is growing every day, every hour, yeah, yeah. Are there a lot of clubs now in Ukraine? Not many, I think. At this moment we have six, seven padel clubs, but two, three more they are going to open this year. Where are they mainly opening? I can't say in the center, no, of Kyiv, any district, so it doesn't matter.

Speaker 2 1:43

And you were talking about opening your own club yes, I tried to open my own club but I met a problem with with the space or with the land. You know the place or district where I wanted to open the club. We tried to buy some land but it was very expensive.

Speaker 1 2:08

It costs approximately half a million dollars Just for the land, yeah, just for the land, with nothing on it, with nothing, and then you have to build the infrastructure. Yes, yes, are the clubs in Ukraine at the moment mainly indoor or outdoor?

Speaker 2 2:22

Indoor we have only maybe a few outdoor courts. I know four courts outdoor, really.

Speaker 1 2:30

Is that because of the weather? Yes, the weather. And with the current situation of the war, is that not stopping people from building clubs? Or they're still building?

Speaker 2 2:39

No, in Kyiv? No, in Kyiv. In other cities, yes, because, for example, I know Adesa they want to build some clubs because it's very popular in Adesa too. At this moment, they have only two courts for the whole city and these two courts are booked for two weeks. They continue to live here. They don't have any other options. Yeah, that's amazing.

Speaker 1 3:10

That, regardless of the situation, they keep enjoying. They keep playing. Why do you think paddle is growing in Ukraine?

Speaker 2 3:17

Because I think sports have become very popular in the world, not only in Ukraine. Paddle is a very easy kind of sport, I think, so you can take 10 lessons and you can play with your family, with your friends, so not like in tennis. If you want to play tennis with your friends, you need at least two years.

Speaker 1 3:38

It's true, tennis is a lot more difficult, but the the history of tennis in Ukraine is big. You have a very good background of tennis players, so are a lot of people moving from tennis to paddle?

Challenges in Growing Ukrainian Padel

Speaker 2 3:48

no, it's new people. It's not from tennis, but of course from tennis too, but I think only maybe 20, 30 percent that's interesting, so you have a lot of new people.

Speaker 1 4:00

Yeah, never played any other sport that are starting to play battle and that's what you want, right, you? You need new people doing the sport for it to continue to grow. What do you think is the difference, now that you're doing more paddle, between coaching paddle?

Speaker 2 4:13

and coaching tennis. I wanted to change something. You know, in paddle I see more bright colors than in tennis, you know, for example, blue carpet, green walls, you know.

Speaker 1 4:26

And in tennis I see some orange clay and dirty balls you know, and it's very tiring being on a tennis court all day. The court's bigger. Picking up the balls is tiring, yes, yes, you need more power also. Yes, hitting the balls. And now in Ukraine you're coaching paddle mainly beginners or you have also more advanced players.

Speaker 2 4:46

At first it was only beginners, and now the paddle of Ukraine federation made me the main coach of a woman's team. Amazing. So yeah, now I start to to train our woman's team. Are there?

Speaker 1 4:59

a lot of women playing paddle, or is it mainly men?

Speaker 2 5:02

We have men two times more than women, same as in Dubai.

Speaker 1 5:06

Is the Federation giving money towards funding paddle At this moment? No, I mean, there's not a lot of money in paddle at the moment.

Speaker 2 5:12

Yes, at this moment no.

Speaker 1 5:14

And how good do you think the Ukrainian players can become? What do you think is the potential for Ukrainian players? How high do you think they can get In the nearest?

Speaker 2 5:24

5-10 years. We don't have really good players Because at this moment we have only ex-tennis players, only a few kids who just start to play padel.

Speaker 1 5:35

Yeah, so I mean in all countries. It's going to be a long journey of 5-10 years. Yeah, but you think we will see a Ukrainian player in player in the top 100 of premier paddle.

Speaker 2 5:44

It's very difficult, I think, because if you want to become a top star top 100, 100 at least you need to practice every day. And you need to practice somewhere, in italy or in spain, not in ukraine, you know, because in ukraine we don't have coaches who used to play with profit, we have only coaches from tennis, and they become paddle coaches. If you want to become a good paddle player, you need to understand this game from inside, because it's a very big difference between tennis and paddle.

Speaker 1 6:20

So you have no Spanish or Argentinian coaches yet in Ukraine.

Speaker 2 6:23

No, sometimes our federation invites some Spanish specialists.

Speaker 1 6:29

I mean it's growing in that region. I mean recently there was the FIP in Kazakhstan. They're doing FIPs in Russia as well now. Has there been any international tournaments yet in Ukraine?

Speaker 2 6:39

No, it's impossible because of war, and Russia and Kazakhstan have much more money than.

Speaker 1 6:45

Ukraine. It's not going to happen yet. Yeah, maybe after the war, when.

Speaker 2 6:48

Maybe, but I don't think so, Because if you want to become a top player, you need to spend your own money, Especially in paddle.

Speaker 1 6:57

even until top 50 players, they're spending from their own pocket. It's not. They're not making much money yet. The sport hasn't yet grown to that stage. What kind of games do they like? Is it more of a social thing? Is it matches? Is it competition?

Speaker 2 7:14

Yes, they like competitions, they like matches Very popular students plus coach such games. You know Americano with coach, so everyone's learning People with coach, and we always change.

Speaker 1 7:30

I guess it's still in that baby steps, where they're still improving and they want to get better and Eventually, once the level improves, there will be more competition. And is there? There is the Federation, right, the Ukrainian battle Federation. Are they organizing tournaments that people can join, or yes, yes, of course every week.

Speaker 2 7:48

Every week, we have some National tournaments smallest and big, and big and bigger. Are you the number one in ukraine? No, no, I don't have the highest ranking because I came to ukraine only last autumn, okay, and I don't have a lot of points at this moment. I don't have good partner. I changed three or four partners, yeah, at this time. So I don't. I can't find player whom I can feel each other.

Speaker 1 8:18

So I play well.

Speaker 2 8:19

I know it and people knows that I can play well, but I can't win, for example, ukrainian championship because of partner.

Speaker 1 8:31

What kind of partner do you want? What's the perfect paddle partner for you?

Coaching Tennis vs. Padel

Speaker 2 8:34

For me the perfect partner is a left-handed player. Good defense, good offense at the same time, Because I like to play fast paddle, so I can't play slow paddle like people used to play.

Speaker 1 8:49

You were very aggressive, straight to the net, yeah and now when I play in category A.

Speaker 2 8:54

Now, it was not the best tournament because of the party you know.

Speaker 1 9:00

I mean, the level was very high in that tournament.

Speaker 2 9:02

Yes, very high level, but I felt very bad on this day, Very bad. So for me it was important to watch to see to play against category A in Dubai. I saw they used to play slow paddle. They feel comfortable when you play slow paddle against them, but when you start to play fast paddle it's not so comfortable for them.

Speaker 1 9:28

I mean, your game style is very different from what most paddle players are used to.

Speaker 2 9:33

They're building the points, lots of logs, whereas you are very directly lots of laws because you, it gives them an opportunity to play lock when, when you will play fast, fast and low, they don't have an opportunity to play lock.

Speaker 1 9:51

True, yeah, there's no time because your values are very, very good. Yeah, what do you think is next for you in paddle in Ukraine?

Speaker 2 9:58

I want to at first. I want to win Ukrainian championship. Okay, I want to play in national team. I want to open my own paddle academy and my own paddle club.

Speaker 1 10:10

So those are good ambitions, yeah.

Speaker 2 10:11

Which one will you do first? In two weeks we have Ukrainian championship and opportunity to win it at least. Then in July we will have European championship and qualification of European championship, and I hope I will play too. You think you guys will qualify. You know they have three stages Stage two if you win Now they have three stages. Stage two if you win stage two, you go to stage one. If you win stage one, you go to main stage. So we start to play in stage two, in the lower stage.

Speaker 1 10:45

It's the first time Ukraine is competing Second time, second time?

Speaker 2 10:48

Yeah, so we will have. We have 20 teams in stage two, four groups. In every group we have five teams and only one will go up. I, I think we can do it. I can think we can do it. When is this?

Speaker 1 11:00

happening. Where is it? In madit? Oh okay, so you're gonna go to spain for that, yeah, nice, yeah, it's a good trip as well. Nice vacation, yes, yes, and will you be training the women's team as well? Yeah, whilst you're there, yeah, so you'll be playing and coaching, yeah, I hope.

Speaker 2 11:16

I don't know how it will happen, but I hope so.

Speaker 1 11:18

That'll be a great opportunity. Yeah, when do you think you'll be able to open your paddle club?

Speaker 2 11:23

I have an opportunity. But the main problem at this moment it's place or land.

Speaker 1 11:31

Only this. But why is it so difficult to find land for paddle in Ukraine?

Speaker 2 11:35

I think, it's the same problem like here in Dubai, because it's easier and you can earn more money. If you build some you know some building some house, then build a paddle club.

Speaker 1 11:46

Yeah, there's more money in real estate than yeah, so that's why we have a problem with the land. Are people converting tennis courts into paddle courts or not?

Speaker 2 11:55

Yes, I have one example they destroyed one tennis court and they built three paddle courts.

National Team Aspirations

Speaker 1 12:02

And the paddle courts are busy. Yeah, so maybe we'll see more and more tennis clubs. That's what a lot of countries have done is converting initially tennis courts to paddle Because the demand for paddle is so high. In your opinion, who's the best paddle player in the world right now? Tapia.

Speaker 2 12:19

I think Tapia, yeah, I like him, I like his game. He's really like from Cosmos. You know, it's true, very good traction, very good speed, very good plastics. You know.

Speaker 1 12:37

He's like a snake. Are Ukrainian famous people playing paddle? Yes, of course. Who would you say is the most well-known Ukrainian superstar In Padel? In general, superstar Like famous? Who's the most famous Ukrainian person that I would know At this moment? Not sports, not sports.

Speaker 2 12:55

Oh, it's Zelensky, of course, our president.

Speaker 1 12:57

True has he played Padel?

Speaker 2 12:59

I don't know, I think he I don't know Maybe at this moment he doesn't have a lot of time. He's probably quite busy.

Speaker 1 13:07

Which Ukrainian personality or famous person would you like to see play paddle? For example, in the UAE, when Sheik Hamdan started playing paddle, paddle became very popular. For example, in the UK, david Beckham was playing paddle.

Speaker 2 13:23

Our football players play padel a lot Really, like Andrei Shevchenko, sergei Ryabrov, evgeny Khachary. So all ex-football players play padel, not ex. All football players play padel. Now I mean that's great for the sport.

Speaker 1 13:38

I mean, we see a lot of the retired football players that move to Dubai. A lot of them are playing padel and they're playing in a lot of the different clubs. So you know they have a lot of influence, which has a positive impact on the sport globally and hopefully, we'll continue to see it growing in Ukraine as well. Yeah, that's true. Do you remember the first time that you played paddle? Yes, it was in.

Speaker 2 13:57

Dubai. It was maybe one and a half years ago, I think it was in November. My friend invited me to play the tournament with him. I said, okay, let's go, let's do it. And we came to play tournament. Of course we won it. Nice yeah, because it was the lowest level. It was like D here, but nobody knows me and I didn't know what is my level. You know, I just came and played padel first time and of course I won it because of, uh, tennis yeah as long as the ball didn't touch the glass, you're fine yeah, then I started to play more and more tournaments.

Speaker 2 14:42

I started having lessons with the. They teach me how to play after the class. Teach me to play smash correctly, because you have a lot of kinds of smash like vibra, bandeja, kick smash rulo.

Speaker 1 14:58

There's a lot more weapons and shots in the overhead than you have in tennis, for example, and learning when to use the right shot I find is very challenging in in paddle, especially when you come from tennis, when if it's a smash, it's a smash. You just hit it, yeah, and you hope for the best. And why do you like paddle?

Speaker 2 15:14

like I told you, I just started from tennis. I need it, something new, yeah, for my brain, for my eyes and I.

Speaker 1 15:24

I need to refresh myself, you know, and I think that's why I decided to change if you could only play tennis or paddle for the rest of your life, you couldn't you choose paddle?

From Tennis Pro to Padel Enthusiast

Speaker 2 15:36

no doubt you would let go of tennis, yeah, okay, I don't know, I at this moment, uh, I don't like tennis at all. But really, truly, you were a very good tennis player, yeah, but I don't like it at all. Maybe I can play with friends or just good people just for fun, but not more.

Speaker 1 15:57

What was your highest achievement in tennis? The highest.

Speaker 2 16:00

You know, I stopped to play tennis when I was 18 and the rest of my life I just teach tennis. Of course, I played a lot of tournaments and I won two times the Seniors World Championship. I mean, that's a great achievement.

Speaker 1 16:18

Yeah, yes, but yeah, it's true, seniors World Championship in doubles.

Speaker 2 16:22

Yeah, in doubles in the World Championship and I was 13 singles. It was a good experience, especially the first World Championship. We played against the United States team and they have two or three match points, so we saved it and we won. It was a great match.

Speaker 1 16:51

So if you could say something to someone in Ukraine who wants to start playing paddle, doesn't know about paddle, what would you say to them?

Speaker 2 16:56

I would say paddle is a very intelligent game because you need to think how, when, what speed. You need to know how to use correctly glasses. You need to think how, when, what speed. You need to know how to use correctly glasses. You know you need to think a lot, do you?

Speaker 1 17:09

think paddle is more tactical than tennis.

Speaker 2 17:13

No, no I don't think so, because I think you have to hear paddle has maybe 15 or 20 tactics?

Speaker 1 17:22

Yeah, not more. And how many do you think there are in tennis?

Speaker 2 17:26

I think, it's like in chess.

Speaker 1 17:29

you know it's a lot, but why do you think there's more in tennis than in paddle?

Speaker 2 17:34

In tennis, you don't have glasses, it's because tennis court is bigger than paddle court and the speed you know, faster, much faster than paddle yeah, makes sense.

The Appeal of Padel's Tactical Game

Speaker 1 17:46

Well, slava, next time I speak to you, I want you to be qualified for the European Championships, I want you to be champion of Ukraine and I want to come visit your paddle club. Okay, thank you, so you're gonna be very busy until next time I see you. Yeah, thank you for chatting with me. Thank you, I look forward to now playing paddle with you and seeing all these beautiful tactics that you have. Thank you, slava, thank you, thank you, so you