The Reporter Quarterly finds out more about Sira Gonzalez’s sport of choice.

Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, combining the finesse of tennis with the speed of squash.

It’s also Madrid-based Business Development Coordinator Sira Gonzalez’s game of choice since she converted from conventional tennis as a child.

She explains: “The points system in padel is the same as in tennis, but it’s played in a doubles format on a smaller court, with shorter, solid racquets.

“Another big difference is that the court is surrounded by walls that players can use in the same way as squash, making it a much faster game, but with longer rallies than conventional tennis.

“Serves are taken underarm, with points lost when a team lets the ball bounce twice on their side of the net or fails to return a shot.”

Sira’s reason for switching to padel were practical at first. She explains: “I played tennis at a local club, but getting a court was often difficult, because it was so busy.

“In contrast, the padel courts were always free, so my dad suggested I give it a try.”

It wasn’t long before Sira was hooked on the alternative form of the game.

She says: “Padel is so much fun and is a very social game. Before long I was part of a group of young players who travelled across Spain to compete in World Padel Tour affiliated events.”

Sira soon became one of the top ranked players in Madrid, with her success earning a sponsorship deal.

She also qualified as a coach which, at the time, made her the only female coach in Madrid, and competed throughout the age groups until a need to focus on her studies made Sira take a rest from the game.

She explains: “Since then I’ve not played the game professionally, but I do play regularly at my club.

“The popularity of padel in Spain is crazy now, but outside the professional game the standard of female players isn’t high, so I usually play with a male partner against male teams, winning several tournaments at our club.

“It’s enjoyable and highly competitive, although some men still don’t like the idea of losing to a woman!”

Sira is clear on why the sport is attracting so many new converts. She says: “Padel is more accessible than conventional tennis and you don’t need amazing technique to enjoy it.

“It’s a lot of fun, requiring physical fitness and a strategic mind, and the fact it’s played on a smaller court with a partner makes good coordination and teamwork particularly important.

“If there’s a court near you, I’d recommend giving it a try.”