You are a Jesus Campos They told him a few years ago, when he was guarding the goal of his soccer team, that he was going to become the Spanish Champion of a sport that barely existed on this side of the Atlantic, he would not have believed it. But pickleball, that hybrid between paddle tennis with beach paddles and tennis on a badminton court, is already the fastest growing discipline in the United States and has 37 federated countries, with the goal of one day being Olympic. And on the other side of the net, Jesús awaits his moment with Joma.
What is pickleball and why is it starting to succeed in Spain?
Pickleball is a racket sport that is played on a court similar to badminton, a low net like in tennis or padel, with a rigid paddle and a perforated hard plastic ball. Its popularity lies in being easy to learn, adaptable to different levels and accessible to people of all ages. Furthermore, it can be practiced both indoors and outdoors. In Spain it is triumphing because more and more people are looking for more social, competitive, dynamic and less physically demanding sports than other racket sports.
How did you get started in pickleball and why?
I started four years ago after having played 14 years as a soccer goalkeeper. I discovered pickleball almost by chance, and from the first moment I was hooked. As I improved, I realized I had great potential, which motivated me to train more and compete at a professional level.
What is the circuit and the competitions like, the ranking, is there a federation?
The pickleball circuit in Spain is growing rapidly, with more and more national competitions. Currently, there is a national ranking governed by the Spanish Tennis Federation, since it is this organization that hosts pickleball as a federated sport. Likewise, together with my team we constantly travel throughout Europe, we seek to make the jump as soon as possible to the United States, the true cradle of pickleball.
What notable differences, both in the game and in the racket, do you find with padel?
The main difference is that pickleball is played with a smaller paddle without holes, and the ball is lighter, made of hard plastic with holes, which offers fewer injuries. Additionally, the game is faster and more precise, with less emphasis on strength. The courts are smaller and there are no walls around them, which changes the strategy compared to padel.
Can you make a financial living from it? Do you dedicate yourself to it exclusively?
Currently the sport is in full growth so there are not a large number of players who dedicate themselves exclusively to this sport as we would like. Still, with the increase in competitions and sponsors, opportunities are starting to improve. In my case, and thanks to Joma, I have the opportunity to dedicate myself and focus completely on pickleball.
Tell me how much you train and where, if you go to the gym a lot, hours you spend on the court per week… etc.
I train several hours a day, dividing my time between the track and the gym. I spend between 10 and 12 hours on the court a week, training technique, tactics and simulating matches. I also alternate hours in the gym before or after my workouts, which allows me to improve many aspects of this sport. In addition to my training, I also work as a coach, so in addition to all this we would have to add the classes that I teach at the Rota club, Cádiz, where I was born.
What is your team made up of? Trainer, physio, nutritionist, psychologist…
Yes, I work with a team of professionals. I have a coach who helps me improve technically and tactically, a physiotherapist who makes sure I am in the best physical condition possible, and I also collaborate with a nutritionist to optimize my nutrition and performance on the court, while also collaborating with a sports psychologist who helps me control emotions on and off the track.
What do you need to gain more popularity in Spain? Do you see yourself in the Olympic Games?
To gain more popularity, we need more visibility in the media and social networks, more support from sponsors and more televised competitions to be organized. Pickleball has great potential to continue growing in Spain. As for the Olympic Games, it would be a dream to be able to participate in one of them. I believe we are on the right track to achieve this in the future as the popularity of the sport continues to increase globally.
Joaquín Gasca is an expert in competitive sports, technology and motorsports. Some time ago he hung up his cleated boots to focus on paddle tennis and running… age-related things, he complains. But he also signs up for any bombing that has to do with pushing his body to the limit, whether driving an Aston Martin or going to the office on a scooter.
He is very Atlético de Madrid, so when footballers like Marcos Llorente or Álvaro Morata have starred on the cover of Men’s Health, he was there to write them. He has just run his first marathon for Runner’s World, and as happens in this universe, he is already looking for the next one to get under 3 hours. If you have to test any type of paddle tennis racket, vehicle or watch, it is no problem. Even sneakers. Whatever you need in sports equipment.
Joaquín graduated in journalism from USP-CEU in 2013, but since 2009, when he joined the University newspaper, he began working as a 360-degree “journalist” in digital and print. The next steps of his almost 15-year career were taken doing culture and sports at Shangay magazine, until he joined Hearst a week before the start of the pandemic in 2020. He is also a professor of social networks and new technologies at Universitas Senioribvs CEU and is part of Hearst’s Innovation HUB to research new trends.
