The Bandeja Magazine Issue 1

The interview
The cricket
connection
Her sponsors
Tia is sponsored by NOX Sport,
MATCHi, Padel Shack, Bynx
and Game4Padel.
Michael Gradon, CEO of
Game4Padel said: “Tia is the
future bright star of the padel
world and we are delighted to
support her on her journey.”
“We’re really excited to have
Tia joining our team. Everybody
knows about the qualities she
possesses on court. Together
with an influential ambassador
like Tia, we hope to spread
the joy of padel across the
UK, introduce new people to
the sport and help her on her
amazing journey,” said Anna Ek,
commercial partnership and
event manager at MATCHi
Tia said: “I’m so grateful to my
sponsors for the faith they have
put in me at this early stage in
my career. I’m excited about
what we can achieve together.
They support me in so many
ways and I am determined to
repay that in the best way I
can - by delivering on court!”
Image courtesy World Padel Tour
Barcelona, where she trains with new
coach Juan Alday, an Argentinian who
previously coached world No 1 Marta
Marrero and is also now working with
French No 1 Alix Collombon.
“Day to day I am hanging around with
these people and am able to train with
Alix, the world No 19, which is amazing,”
said Tia. “And everyone is so nice. I have
a very solid relationship with my coach
Juan even though we’ve only been
working together for a few months.
He said at the start when I went out to
Barcelona ‘Tia everyone we have in this
training camp is a family’. Everyone was
welcoming, friendly and hanging out all
the time. The support and friendship in
padel is huge and it definitely has an
impact on your game.”
Juan has Tia working on two aspects
of her game - thinking and leg work: “He
has made me realise that padel is a lot
more simple than you think,” she said.
“Before I used to think that I had to play
the most perfect shot all the time in
order to win a point. But Juan said ‘Tia,
you do realise padel is literally just get
the ball in’. The main focus they are
teaching me is to play padel with an
idea, so which shots I want to play, when
I want to play them and how I want the
point to finish. Basically using my brain
a bit more. I have all the shots but the
difference between a good player and
an incredible player is when to use those
shots, how to use them, etc.
“One of the biggest physical
aspects I am working on is using my
legs a lot more. I have always been
used to using my arm and my wrist
so coaches now are telling me to move
my legs and use my whole body in
every shot.”
It’s no doubt hard work but Tia is not
deterred: “I never get fed up, I love it
so much. I enjoy training, I enjoy playing,
I enjoy competing, I enjoy every aspect
of it.”
Dad Jonathan on Tia
“Tia immediately connected with
padel after her transition from tennis,
competing at an international level
from the age of 12, both in the junior
and women’s senior team at World
and European championships. Her
success on the World Padel Tour
opened many opportunities. As parents
we have been there every step of the
journey and have travelled thousands
of miles. Her success, commitment
and determination has made her the
successful British athlete she is now.”
Quick fire questions...
Q: Her dream padel partner?
My dream partner would have to
be my favourite player Marta Ortega.
I absolutely love her game style and
Image courtesy the LTA
have had the pleasure of meeting
her and seeing how kind and amazing
she is off the court. I also managed to
experience playing against her in the
last European championships, and
wow. I really understood the level of
her game and would love to be able
to share the court with her again one
day. Hopefully next time on the same
side of the net!
Q: Her interests outside padel?
I love anything to do with arts and
crafts, I’m quite a hands-on person.
I also really enjoy baking and cooking
which I have definitely picked up from
mum as she is rather talented in this
area. I also have a tendency to learn
random skills as well in my free time
– juggling, card tricks, headstands.
It really varies…
Q: Her advice to young players
aiming high?
Whatever goal you set yourself, don’t
let anyone of anything stop you until
you get there. Your mind and body
are a lot more powerful than you
think so never limit yourself, always
chase your dreams. Every second
you work for them, the closer you
are getting to achieving them. When
I started playing padel my dream
was to play the World Padel Tour.
I am now living my dream because
I never gave up or let anyone tell
me otherwise.
If Tia’s older brother
Jamieson ever wants
to score sibling
brownie points he
could point out that if
it hadn’t been for his
cricket prowess her
prodigious padel talent
may have remained
undiscovered, at least
for a little longer.
Tia would watch Jamieson play
cricket in Warwick every week. The
cricket club also had tennis courts
so, aged seven, Tia and her dad
Jonathan gave it a try.
It was the fledgling start of a tennis
career. Within a couple of years Tia
was scouted to join a club in Coventry
to train and compete more seriously.
Within four years of picking up a
racket she was playing in the national
team finals at the National Tennis
Centre in Roehampton, coming third.
It was then that a former tennis
coach, Matt Thomas, invited her to
play padel at a club in Birmingham
(Padel Nation). Tia said: “Initially I
was very frustrated. Obviously the
back wall is a huge issue for tennis
players because you instantly move
backwards; the movements are
complete opposites. It is like when
people smash, instantly you would
start moving back but you forget you
have a glass wall behind you.”
Despite her frustrations, Tia proved
a natural and just a few weeks later
trialled for the GB team heading
Brother Jamieson on Tia
“Tia has been dedicated to the sport
from the outset. I am so proud of her
many achievements at such a young
age. I have enjoyed watching her grow
and develop her skills over the years
and it’s great to support her along
the way. I can’t wait to see what’s
next for her future. If only she was as
passionate about doing the recycling
and emptying the dishwasher as her
padel that would be great.”
to the Junior World Championships in
Mexico, securing her place in the U14s
squad. There she competed in the
team event and the open tournament,
reaching the quarter finals despite
having only been playing for two months.
“I came home and was continuing with
tennis and padel but it got to the stage
where I was playing tennis shots in
padel and padel shots in tennis. I was
like right, I need to decide what I want
to do. It wasn’t the easiest decision
but I decided to continue with padel.
I definitely feel like I made the right
choice,” she said.
26 thebandeja.com the UK padel magazine - May 2022
27