Born in Brussels the 04 February 1993, this young Belgian has maintained a close relationship with the sport since he had barely 4 years. With the firm intention of making a hole in the Professional Circuit, the Black Crown Team member has moved to Spain to train with the best and to continue growing as a player. From these moments, in Padel World Press we will follow your 'wanderings' through this Journal.
Padel World Press .- The first step in this new project is to tell you who I am and how I came to the world of paddle tennis. The truth is that my life has been closely linked to sports since I was just a child. From 4 to 23 years old I played tennis (with about 5 hours of training a week). In turn, I practiced Competition Sports Gymnastics from 8 to 18 years old (10 hours of training each week).
My contact with the paddle came about four seasons ago. I met him on a vacation I spent in France with some friends. Since I returned to Belgium I started to play more frequently and, gradually, I changed the racket for the shovel… As no one had taught me the basics of this new sport, it took me a lot to adapt to the game with the walls. The truth is that the beginnings were not easy.
If I had to describe myself as a player I would say that I am a fighter, that I like spectacular points and I never give a ball for finished ... I always try to return the ball to the other side. Sometimes, I want to make the points too beautiful and spectacular (it was always like that, in tennis that was also my style of play) and I think that's something I have to work on: learning to play more simply.
The first thing that made me come to Spain may not be paddle (hmmm, maybe a little). From September of 2016 to February of 2017 I completed my first stage in Madrid, with the aim of learning Spanish a Language School (25 hours each week). When I packed my bags and put them in my padel and paddle clothes, my mother told me: "Are you sure you are going there to learn Spanish?".
At the end of December, I got an agreement with my sponsors (Padel International and Black Crown) to start the project of playing the WPT 2017 Circuit.
I have to say that the first weeks of training were pretty intense. I trained 3 hours every day, from Monday to Friday (1: 30 of paddle on track plus 1: 30 of physical). For me, the hardest thing was to pick up the rhythm of the routine but every day I feel better in the game and, physically, with the 'sharper' legs.
In the mornings, I train with Pablo Lijó on the track and, in physical training, with Miguel Lamperti, Paquito Navarro, Aday Santana and Tito Allemandi. Being able to share the sessions with all these stars, who are my idols, makes me feel like a true privileged person. A few months ago I was watching them on YouTube and now I exercise every day with them. I try not to go crazy when I'm in his company, but when I return home, I tell myself that I'm living a dream and that's why I try to make the most of every second.
Thanks to Adrián Caviglia and Jorge Rodríguez, coaches of reference in this sport, I can also feel that I have improved in many facets, especially at the tactical level. Before coming to Madrid, he improvised a lot playing paddle tennis. Now, I start to have game plans and everything is more organized. Also, thanks to physical training, I move much faster and I am much more agile when traveling.
I think the hardest thing was the first training sessions with Pablo Lijó. He is a 'beast' and I felt very bad when I played with him. I had to do a very strong mental work to accept that I was not going to win many points but that it would be an incredible opportunity to learn and improve. After that, when I play against guys of my level, I feel much more comfortable. I must also admit that sometimes it is very difficult for me to be away from my family and my friends. That is why I try to return to Belgium every month to recharge my batteries… That trip does me a lot of good.
I have to say that, together with my teammate Diego Del Percio, we have obtained a Wild Card for the Santander Open… So we will try to do things in the best possible way. One of the first objectives will be to overcome the Pre-Previews. That would be amazing but I like to be realistic. It will be very difficult because there are great players but, of course, I am one of those who thinks that there are no goals to dreams and, in that sense, what I am living for now, already surpasses all my goals ...
Step by step… We'll see what happens this year.
Greetings to all.
Jeremy Gala
Image: Padel Magazine
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