Who is Oscar Nunez?

Today we are pleased to introduce you to a special interview because the interviewee is the interviewer. Today we want you to meet the man behind Padel World Press, the padel news website, and something else we declare ourselves followers of. Thanks to Oscar Nunez, CEO of Padel World Press, for agreeing to tell us a little bit about himself, his beginnings and what he thinks about this sport we love.

• First, we’d like you to tell us what padel is for you.

First of all, I’d like to thank you for inviting me for this interview. It’s a pleasure. And to answer your question, I will say that although it sounds cliché, for me padel is a true passion. I came to it by chance, through one of those unexpected twists and turns that life gives you when you least expect it… And from the first minute, I was completely captivated. It was something amazing, impossible to explain in words. For work reasons, I ‘disconnected’ for a while, but I never left completely… And deep down, both I and the people around me knew that I would end up coming back, but this time to stay.

• What other hobbies do you have besides padel?

Well, I wish I could say that padel… You know that in the blacksmith’s house… Our daily life is so intense that I don’t even have an hour a week to play padel… And it’s something I want, should and need to do, but quieter times will come. Right now, we’re in full growth phase and we have to take advantage of every second to 200% … Leaving the padel, which in my case is complicated, I love to read and I miss having more time to read the endless list of books I have in ‘waiting’ … And, of course, more than anything, I love spending time with my wife and son. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

• The name of the sportsman you admire in the world of professional padel.

The truth is that I’ve never been one to ‘idolize’ or admire anyone. I’m very analytical person and I always look at certain details, patterns, attitudes or behaviors of others… Both to learn from them and to know what I don’t want to do, because you can learn from everything and everyone. I can’t say who I admire, but I could talk in detail about each of the players, coaches, brand managers, organizers, etc., what makes them special to me.

• How did you begin your journey in the world of padel communication?

That story would be very very long but also very nice to tell… There is a good friend who always tells me that I should write a book with my adventures and that’s something I’m not ruling out… The problem is, I don’t know who would be interested in reading it. To give you a little idea. My beginnings in padel were about 11 years ago, more or less. I was working at Marca and one day, a good friend of mine called me and said: ” An old friend of mine wants to start a padel magazine and is looking for an Editor-in-Chief. I told him about you… Would you be okay with that?”… And you know the rest… I was up for it!!! I must admit that at that time I had not had the slightest contact with the padel world, but I’m getting happier every day that I made that decision.

• How many years have you been dedicating yourself to it?

Well, those 11 years. It is true that in between I had the break I mentioned, but I never lost sight of this sport and I kept in touch with the players, etc … A trip to Benicassim, and finding that I was staying by chance in the same hotel where the Benicassim Internationals were being played, reignited the spark for good.

• What role do you play in Padel World Press?

Well, besides being its founder, I am also its Director. That means that from Monday to Sunday, on vacations and bank holidays, we have to be at the foot , because, luckily, this sport never stops developing and it never stops growing.

• What do you think about the situation of padel in Spain?

It’s a difficult, complex, and unmanageable question, because we can talk about sports, business, federation, institutional, professional… And a long etcetera… And each one of them could give us topics of conversation for many and many hours. It’s not that I don’t want to be a part of it… It’s just that if I started talking about this subject, I think we would never finish… The only sure thing is that padel is far above people, institutions or interests. We have before us a wonderful sport, with unlimited potential, which we must take care of and cherish. Many things have been done wrong, padel has grown in a disorganized way and with many vices… But even so, it has not stopped and will not stop growing. That is the best indicator of all the good that is enclosed in something more than just a sport. We have no idea how lucky we are to have experienced, as it were, the growth of padel in our country. Maybe in a few years, when it becomes more global, we will look back on this era with nostalgia.

• How do you see the growth of padel courts in Spain? Is it coming to an end or are there still facilities to be built?

Luckily for you, there will always be facilities to be built. Maybe not as many as in previous years, but padel will continue to grow. There will be demand, although less, and that will force you to do your best to provide a service that differentiates you from the rest… Hopefully, that difference will be for the guarantees, the benefits and the quality of the services you offer and not for having lowered prices to insane limits. Things have a value and it is we, in each of our sectors, who have to be in charge of giving it to them and justifying with arguments why this is so.

• If we talk about the internationalization of padel, it’s obviously an emerging market… Do you think that padel in other European countries can become a regular sport as it is in Spain?

In Europe and the world… I have no doubt about that. And we will see it much sooner than we think. We tend to think that padel is a sport ‘patrimony of Spain and Argentina’ but people will be surprised at what is beginning to ‘move’ outside. It’s still just the beginning, the seeds have just been planted… But I’m sure the fruits won’t take long to sprout.

• What is your greatest professional satisfaction in the world of padel?

The greatest satisfaction is to be appreciated, valued and respected in a world as complicated as that of padel. I try to do things well, with honesty and professionalism… Mistakes are inevitable, but you always learn from them and they help you grow. I have lived very nice moments thanks to padel but, of course, if you ask me what is my greatest satisfaction, I’ll tell you it’s the love and support I receive every day.

• From Manzasport we support the spread of padel, and of course we are immersed in the process of globalization, what do you think of our work? Do you know our product?

Of course, I know it. Part of my job is to stay informed and know who is who. For me, court builders are the heroes of this sport, the ones who have taken the risk of building courts in the most unexpected places in our country and beyond our borders. I have always believed that the court builders, through your efforts and strong commitment, have planted the seeds of passion for padel in every corner of the world … And you are doing it by installing your courts and encouraging fans to try a new sport for them … Congratulations on your work!