Sara Errani arrived on Day 2 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, as players battled for a spot in the round of 16. Matches that Errani – Olympic gold medalist in tennis in Paris last year with Jasmine Paolini and winner of all four Grand Slam doubles titles – watched not only as a padel enthusiast who already knows the top players in the world personally, but also with the mindset of someone who, one day, will play the sport full-time. “That’s right, I’m seriously thinking about it”, the Italian star shared at the motorola razr Miami Premier Padel P1, the first Premier Padel event in the U.S.
This is a well-considered step that Errani has already explored at a high level: since the start of the year, she has participated in two CUPRA FIP Tour events (the other professional circuit, alongside Premier Padel, recognized by the International Padel Federation). First, in Melbourne, where she played with Tathiana Garbin, and then in Dubai, where she teamed up with Italian padel talent Caterina Baldi.
“I’ve been training in Spain for 20 years. I started playing padel there about 15-20 years ago, and I played occasionally. Lately, I’ve been playing more often. When I go back to Valencia to train, for example, I play padel almost every day, and when I’m traveling for tournaments, I always look for a court”, Sara explains. “The last time at Indian Wells, I found one in a hidden spot and managed to play”, she laughs. “But, of course, it also depends on the matches I have to play in the tournaments”.
Her desire to get into the game is strong, fueled by the excitement on the court at Miami P1, even though her current focus is on having fun. “I’m doing this for fun. I don’t have a staff or a permanent partner, and for now, I don’t have ranking goals. But I feel that when I stop playing tennis, I want to dedicate myself to padel full-time.”