10(ish) Questions With…
Antonio Goes

Tell us about Padelpalooza. What’s your vision? What progress have you made so far? Padelpalooza started as a group of players trying to find fun people to play with. Six months later we are over 180 members who have become friends and indulge in a variety of different social events, including dinners, parties, padel tournaments, trips, etc. The idea is to make padel known in the whole US while maintaining its roots as a social, fun sport with no ties to luxury and all-white-fancy-country-club vibes, becoming a beacon for all padel initiatives. We are growing nationwide by the second half of 2025 and also paving the way to other continents such as Europe, South America and Asia.

Tell us about your introduction to padel, when did you first play? Was it love at first sight? Believe it or not, padel has been in Brazil for decades, but just in the southern region. Being from Sao Paulo, I'd never heard of it until I moved to the US and eventually met an amateur pro player, Eduardo Diverio, three and a half years ago who became a good friend. I was always seeing his activities on socials and wondering what this sport was. I was still in Miami so I flew to New York and played with him for two hours. I was back home and playing the following day. Never stopped ever since.

You’ve played a lot of padel. What’s one padel memory that really sticks out to you? My first por tres. It's cheesy, I know, but I can't forget it.

You travel a lot for padel, you’ve seen padel in many different countries. What’s something about the sport abroad vs in the USA that stands out to you? The way padel is played and coached and the culture. In Spain, for example, padel is accessible and coaches work on strategy, on how to win a match. In the US, especially New York City, many players just dream about smashing the ball out and put a lot of pressure on the coaches to do so — and simply have fun. This makes the sport grow differently and for the overall level to be way lower in the US than abroad. Socially, in most of the countries I visited, padel is a way of meeting people - and grabbing a beer after the games is mandatory. In the US it is more transactional, you do what you have to do and leave.

What’s your usual padel outfit? Head-to-toe, walk us through it. It must be comfortable and efficient — I hate playing with items that become heavy or too wet when sweating during a match. Here we go: Kanso shoes, they are really special and scientifically built for padel; RTP socks; Adidas shorts, they're comfortable and lightweight; 2XU compression shorts; Pulco t-shirts — they're simply the best in the industry and I can spend a whole article talking about them. They dress well, and magically dry really fast. I don't know what sorcery Joe and his team use, but it works. Besides that, I can't live without my Whoop so it's always on my wrist. On sunny days, RIA sunglasses. Oh, the Padelpalooza cap is mandatory. Racquets? They have to fit my game style: lightweight, mid-low balance, soft core with a hard shell — for me it's all about maneuverability with flexible power.

What’s one piece of gear you can't live without? Compression shorts. Helps a lot on endurance and prevents exhaustion.

What’s one thing you’d like to see happen in the next year to turbocharge padel’s growth in America? More focus on the social aspects of the sport and a focus towards culture- and community-building.

Who’s your favorite professional player? Why? I used to be a Tapia fanboy since I started playing the sport, but I've been paying a lot of attention in Galan lately. I like the movement, strategy. Don't get me wrong, Tapia is the best, but Galan inspires me the most on the courts.

Pre-match meal? If I can plan ahead I try to balance nutrients. My go-to would be an avocado toast and a protein shake two to three hours before the match. Otherwise, Levain Two Chocolate Chip Cookies for the win! Oh!... and a double espresso 15 min before it starts.

Post-match drink? Nothing beats a good protein smoothie! ✸