On Wednesday, the World Padel Tour (WPT) begins in Malmö arena. The tournament was supposed to have been played last year but was canceled due to the corona pandemic. Now the organizer expects full stands.
Helsingborg resident Simon Vasquez, together with Swedish Spaniard Cayetano Rocafort, has achieved great success on the Swedish tour during the year and was therefore awarded a wild card for the competition.
This will be the second time that Simon Vasquez plays a major tournament at the WPT. The debut took place in Båstad 2019.
– Then I went in with the idea that “now I will not do away with myself”. This time, I think I’m going to win. The odds may not be on my side, but I can definitely bark, says Simon Vasquez.
– Simon Vasquez made his debut on the world tour in padel 2019.
Photo: Anders Malmberg
He has the best of his career season behind him and beat the top 30 players Miguel Yanguas and Ivan Ramirez in Stockholm this spring. When we meet him, he has just talked on the phone with a prospective sponsor.
– It has been a fairly intense year where I have developed more than ever. Then I found a very good coach in Barcelona who I enjoy, Marcela Ferrari. She comes to Malmö to coach me and “Caye”.
Marcela Ferrari is a respected name in paddle circles. Among other things, she has coached Fernando “Bela” Belasteguin, who was world number one for sixteen years.
– Right now a sponsor is in negotiations with her down in Barcelona to find a solution for how we will work in the coming year. The idea is that I will spend more time with her in Barcelona.
Otherwise it exists best sparring in Madrid where many other Swedes have chosen to place their investment. But Simon Vasquez values other things.
– I have never really found a coach who really cares about me. Marcela is there much more than anyone else I have had, he says about the election.
– I need a coach who works with my strokes, the tactics and how to win matches I have not won before. I get that from her because she is there 110 percent.
The goal is to become a major tournament player on the World Padel Tour. Right now, Simon Vasquez is ranked 136th in the world and he probably needs to be around 44. A crucial factor in getting there is finding a partner to play with regularly.
– It’s a very difficult puck. I have tested different players this year but have not really found a dream partner. I am looking for someone who has the same ambitions as me, the same passion and someone who spends as much time. I live for the paddle.
Actually, Simon is Vasquez broker at the real estate agency Östermalm, but three years ago he took leave to pursue his dream. The chance has paid off well both in terms of results and finances, as the car outside the paddle hall, with Simon Vasquez’s name on it, testifies.
– The paddle grows and more money comes in. Both sponsorship money and prize money. I see that the gap between tennis and paddle is decreasing, but we are still far from the prize money that tennis has, he says.
– I would estimate a full-time investment in paddle to half a million a year. But if you are where we are today, me, Daniel Windahl, Calle Knutsson and Amanda Girdo, you can certainly get sponsors who help with much more than that. There are more than me who go plus on this. I have more money in the account now than I had when I started with paddle.
However, results are required to maintain the position. And the competition in Spain, where most competitions are played, is tough.
– The difference from Sweden is that they compete for their lives in Spain. There are more psychs, tougher and they fight all the way.
– In the beginning I felt insecure when I competed at WPT, I did not understand what the thing was. Why would everyone shout so much during the matches, be so tagged and try their hand at psyching.
– There is so much happening in addition to the paddle and a lot of hatred arises during the matches. But then everyone has it pretty easy and drop it afterwards.
What do you see in front of you in Malmö arena?
– I hope we can bark. It should be sold out so I see in front of me that it is full of Swedes cheering us on.
In addition to Simon Vasquez and Cayetano Rocafort, Daniel Windahl has received a wildcard to the tournament in pairs with Martin Andornino.