Rafa Mendez is 51st in the standings of the World Padel Tour. During a live interview with Padel Magazine, the Andalusian shares his “gift” for mental coaching with tips that can be useful for all players de padel.

Rafa Mendez, future mental coach

Lorenzo Lecci López: If you hadn't been a soccer player padel professional, what would you have done?

Rafa Mendez:“Honestly, I think I was born to have a racket in my hand. But if you ask me, I really like psychology. I like helping people. I think that in all humility, I have a gift. In my surroundings, I directly capture the energies when something is going wrong, and I am able to have the words to make the person get better.”

Lorenzo Lecci López: For your post-career, you already have your vocation! Mental trainer for player padel.

Rafa Mendez:"Without a doubt. If you ask me if I prefer on the bench a motivating coach who can tell you something at any time, or a coach who gives you tactical advice, I really prefer coaching. Someone who can have the right words for me to go all out for the whole game.”

talk to yourself

Lorenzo Lecci López: How do you stay focused at the start of the 2nd set when you won the first?

Rafa Mendez:“It's something that happens to all of us. When you play well in a first set, there is a small drop in the beginning of the second. It works with psychologists. What you have to try to do is think about everything that allowed you to win the previous set, and try to reproduce it.

Lorenzo Lecci López: It's true that listening to you, you have the words!

Rafa Mendez :“I worked on that a lot with my psychologist. He told me that when you start a match, you think a lot, and when you win the first set against a pair that is better ranked, the nerves can take over in the second set. At that time, my shrink advised me to give a name to this negative thought. "

“This pressure makes you play less well, so that's a negative thought. And I thought “listen Pepe, don't bother me now!”. This thought finally makes you laugh, because you tell yourself that you are talking to yourself. You have to say it to yourself in a low voice to relax and allow this negative thought to be cut off. You can then refocus on the “here and now”.

“In 2019 in Jaen against Chingotto and Tello we had won the first set. And I spent my second set saying to myself “no Pepe, no Pepe”, and in the end I won the match! I had to fight more against Pepe than against Chingotto and Tello! Pepe was trying to pull me to his side the whole game. 

From his names, we can guess his Spanish and Italian origins. Lorenzo is a multilingual passionate about sports: journalism by vocation and events by worship are his two legs. He is the international gentleman of Padel Magazine. You will often see it on the various international competitions, but also on the major French events. @eyeofpadel on Instagram to see his best photos of padel !