A former tennis player who went through the American university system, she discovered padel almost by chance in 2024. Two years later, she now lives in Miami She coaches at one of the most influential clubs in the United States and actively participates in the development of women's padel in the US. A rapid rise, built on intuition, competition, and total immersion in the world of padel.
The move to the United States after tennis
After ending her tennis career, she decided to pursue her studies in the United States, in Miami. For several years, she played in the American university system in Division 2, where she completed her bachelor's and master's degrees and competed at a high level.
"We won a lot of titles. In terms of tennis, it was a great experience," she says.
Tennis then completely structured her daily life. But once she finished her master's degree, the situation became less clear. While she was looking for a job in Miami, a friend suggested she participate in a padel tournament.
At that time, however, she had never acted.
“She told me, ‘You must be good at padel.’ And I replied, ‘Listen, I’ve never played.’”
An immediate discovery of the competitive side of padel
His discovery of padel dates back to April 2024 She quickly became immediately drawn to the competitive aspect of the sport.
"I loved it immediately. I love competition, so I instantly saw it as a new challenge."
Where some former tennis players take time to grasp the tactical subtleties of padel, she quickly gets into the game. She immediately perceives the differences with tennis, but also everything that remains to be learned.
"I could clearly see that there was a lot of work to be done."
Her entry into padel was seamless. After only a few sessions on the court, she was already playing in a tournament. Padel X , one of Miami's most famous clubs.
"I had played padel three times and I had already participated in a tournament."
It was at that moment that she first crossed paths with Nallé Grinda , a key figure in the development of padel in the United States.
"He told me, 'You have real potential.'"
Physical qualities that accelerate his adaptation
Her rapid adaptation is largely explained by her playing profile. In tennis, she already possessed a game based on explosiveness and physical impact.
"I was a very explosive, very physical player."
These qualities quickly allowed her to make a difference on American courts, particularly in women's padel where the defensive level is still progressing.
Her main weapon comes directly from her past as a tennis player.
"My smash was already my strong point in tennis."
In his early days playing padel, this immediately made a difference.
"As soon as I had a high ball, the point was practically over."
But beyond the court, she also quickly understands that something is happening in the United States around padel.
"I immediately saw that padel was taking off in Miami."
The padel boom in Miami
She quickly began coaching. The still-developing level of American padel allowed her to teach the technical and tactical basics of the game while continuing her own progress.
It begins within the gigantic complex Ultra Padel considered the largest club in the United States with over 25 lanes, before joining Padel X .
Today, padel completely dictates the rhythm of his daily life.
"I coach approximately 25 hours per week."
In parallel, she also participates in the development of American women's padel through a league reserved for women.
"It's currently the only women's league in the United States."
The project particularly motivates her, as she wants to contribute to changing the role of women in this still very young sport in the United States.
A progression built almost entirely on its own
Despite her total immersion in padel, she explains that she progressed for a long time without a real training structure.
"I never really had a coach. I learned by playing matches."
His development takes place mainly on the field, through encounters and exchanges with other players.
"I've kind of created my own method."
It wasn't until the beginning of 2026 that she finally decided to spend a full week training with Gustavo Pratto , in order to lay a more solid technical foundation.
"I knew I was going to take padel much more seriously this year."
Let's head to one of the pioneers of padel in the USA
In its evolution, Nallé Grinda plays an important role. A true pioneer of padel in the United States, the founder of Padel X gradually helps him to integrate into the club's project.
The choice to join Padel X is not a simple case, since she also maintained a very good relationship with the leaders of Ultra Padel.
"It wasn't an easy decision."
But Nallé Grinda's approach eventually made the difference, particularly because he regularly offered to play and train with him.
"Since I'd never really had a coach before, it helped me enormously."
She also discovers a leader who is very invested in the development of American padel, particularly among young people.
"He's really pushing the junior academy."
Today, Padel X has one of the few genuine junior training structures in the country and is already starting to attract major international projects, such as the Rafael Nadal Academy.
Even though she recounts their training sessions with humor, she also acknowledges the demanding nature of the character.
"When I play with him, I can tell you I get destroyed. As soon as I miss a shot, he looks at me..."
The discovery of the high level
In her daily life in Miami, she also discovered another facet of top-level sport: the tactical demands. Accustomed to a very aggressive style of play from tennis, she had a tendency to want to hit every ball.
An approach that works at first… up to a certain point.
With Nallé Grinda The exchanges are sometimes direct, very direct even. The leader of Padel X has a well-known reputation in the industry: high standards, few filters, and a real competitive spirit.
"He doesn't mince words."
During matches or training sessions, he constantly pushes her to slow down, build up points more and make better use of the glass rather than systematically looking for the winning shot.
"He kept telling me, 'Stop hitting me.'"
This observation gradually transformed her approach to the game. She now explains that she understood that, beyond a certain level, power alone is no longer enough.
"At first, I really wanted to hit everything. But at a high level, it doesn't do much good if you don't build anything up."
Little by little, this tactical rigor becomes an important element in his progress.
The encounter with Steffi Merah and the first international tournaments
Her career took another turn when she met Steffi Merah , a well-known player on the French circuit.
At this time, she splits her time between Miami in the winter and the Hamptons near New York, in the summer, where she also coaches. It is there that the two players will meet for the first time in 2025.
The context quickly facilitated their coming together: few players present in the region, joint training sessions and above all a very good connection on the track.
A few months later, they competed together in an American tournament in New York, a USPA 500 , which they won against a pair from the American top 4.
Beyond the result, this experience made him discover the importance of chemistry in padel.
"When things work well with a partner, it changes a lot of things."
The two players quickly understand each other on the field, share the same energy and develop a real competitive partnership.
At that time, however, she wasn't yet considering a serious foray into the international circuit. Steffi Merah already had a solid FIP ranking, while remaining very focused on the United States.
Then things accelerated a few months later.
Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Mumbai: discovering the FIP circuit
Although they hadn't really been in touch for a while, Steffi Merah contacted her again with a very specific idea: to play the French Championships together.
The project evolved very quickly. A few days later, Steffi suggested he go and play in two tournaments in Hong Kong.
An opportunity she decided to seize immediately.
"I told myself: one life, one shot."
For her, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Playing with a partner already established on the FIP circuit represents a huge shortcut in her progression.
What was supposed to be a simple two-tournament experience has turned into a full-fledged international tour. After Hong Kong, the two players are following up with a FIP Gold in Kazakhstan , then a FIP Silver in Mumbai , where they reach the semi-finals.
Their journey could even have continued at Premier Padel P2 of Newgiza where they had entered the qualifiers, but their good result in India ultimately prevented them from making the trip in time.
A lucid discovery of the international level
These first international tournaments allowed her above all to concretely measure the gap between the different levels of the women's circuit.
Looking back, she explains that she approached this experience without ego or excessive expectations, aware that she was still very new to padel.
"I'm still completely discovering the sport."
But these initial results also quickly gave her precise benchmarks regarding the women's world level. By facing players in the FIP top 30 or top 80, she observed above all a huge difference in tactical variety and the quality of game choices.
According to her, the real target is around the world's top 80.
From this level onwards, players have many more options in the exchange, know how to mask their intentions and exploit spaces much better.
The semi-final played in Mumbai left a strong impression on him.
"The girls had an enormous range of skills."
She also highlights a fundamental difference with her own background: the majority of these players grew up exclusively in padel, whereas she is still a former tennis player in the process of adapting.
Padel, an environment she is discovering with enthusiasm
What also struck her during this international tour was the overall environment of professional padel.
After years spent in the secondary circuits of tennis, she discovered a sport that was much more accessible, more vibrant in the media, and above all, more human.
She is particularly surprised by the quality of the organization at FIP tournaments, even in categories like Gold or Silver: media presence, videos, photographers, player visibility… all elements which she considers to be much less developed in the intermediate tennis circuits.
The fact that they compete as a duo also completely changes their approach to competition.
For her, this collective dimension provides enormous psychological comfort compared to tennis, where everything rests solely on the individual.
Even today, she approaches this progression with a great deal of freshness, without setting any precise limits for herself.
"There aren't really any expectations. I'm mostly trying to fully experience it."
First steps in French padel
Until now, his career had been built almost exclusively in the United States. But an administrative setback will finally allow him to discover French padel in a much more concrete way.
Although she was only supposed to spend one night in Paris after returning from India before immediately heading back to Miami, she realizes at the airport that her American visa has expired.
Stranded in France for several days, she finally decided to take advantage of the situation to explore the French women's circuit, which she still knew very little about.
At that point, it had only just been assimilated. 30th French player .
Curious to discover her level compared to French players, she then contacted several Parisian organizations, notably 4Padel in Boulogne where she begins to play with different players on the circuit.
She notably shares the track with Marie Rondot then with Camille Sireix gradually discovering a French padel environment that she had previously only known from a distance.
It is also a way for her to start making a name for herself on the French scene after having played almost exclusively in the United States since her beginnings in padel.
A fresh perspective on French padel
As she gradually discovers the French women's circuit, she also begins to observe the differences in playing styles between countries. After having played mainly in the United States and then making a few trips to Spain, she feels she can already perceive a true French playing identity.
According to her, the French level remains significantly higher today than the American circuit, where padel is even more recent and less structured.
But what stands out most is her approach to the game.
"I find French women more aggressive in their style."
Conversely, she describes the Spanish players as being more focused on precision, construction, and tactical management of exchanges.
Although she acknowledges that she still lacks perspective to draw up a complete analysis of the French women's circuit, these first impressions already allow her to better understand the different cultures of padel.
Lésigny, a new adventure in France
His arrival at Lésigny club This is done, once again, through a succession of unexpected encounters and circumstances.
While taking advantage of her forced stay in Paris following her US visa problems, she contacted several acquaintances to play padel. It was ultimately via Victor Barrière that she finds herself playing a game with Daryl Monfils .
At that moment, she discovered almost by chance the existence of team competitions in French padel.
After their match, the conversation naturally turned to the circuit, the clubs, and how padel works in France. Daryl Monfils then spoke to him about William Solis and the project developed in Lésigny.
With humor, she even recounts having beaten Daryl during their confrontation, which may have contributed to further arousing interest around her profile.
She quickly established a good rapport with Guillaume Solis and was immediately drawn to the club's project.
Beyond the sporting level, it is above all the human aspect that attracts him.
"What I loved about Guillaume's approach was the family atmosphere of the club."
She emphasizes the importance of this environment at a stage where she is still building her padel career. More than the financial aspect, she now prioritizes trust, support, and human stability.
"When you're building a career, the human element becomes so important."
Between France and the United States
Even if she joins the team of Lésigny for the interclub competitions national 2 , his organization still remains largely linked to his American life.
His daily life remains divided between Miami, New York and now some regular trips to France for international competitions or certain French tournaments.
She explains in particular that her commitment to her club in the Hamptons still prevents her from returning permanently to Europe during the summer season.
Another important element: his American visa is directly linked to his activity in padel.
This context gives even more importance to his sporting results.
"The better my ranking, the better my chances of securing my visa."
An additional motivation that reinforces his desire to progress quickly on the international circuit.
The world's top 100 and the Olympic Games are always in the back of my mind.
Even though she is still at the beginning of her padel journey, she is now assuming significant ambitions.
Upon discovering the potential of the sport in the United States and Europe, she quickly understood that padel offered very different perspectives from tennis, particularly on a human and social level.
"People are becoming addicted to padel."
It is precisely this collective and friendly aspect that fuels his daily passion for this sport today.
On the sporting front, her goals are also starting to take shape. She is now clearly aiming for a place in the world top 100 in the medium term, while hoping to continue developing on the American circuit.
But behind these ambitions lies an even bigger dream: to represent France if padel is included in the Olympic Games by 2032.
"It would be an incredible second chance to be a professional in another sport."
This was a way for her to extend a sporting career that she thought might have ended after tennis.
Next stop: the FIP Bronze in Miami
The rest of his schedule is already planned with another important event in the United States: the Miami FIP Bronze .
For the occasion, she will team up with the Frenchwoman Nada Majdoubi , in a tournament that is bound to be special at home, in the heart of a city where his padel adventure truly began.
A new step in a rapid progression, which continues to gain momentum on both sides of the Atlantic.
Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!
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