10(ish) Questions With…
Julia Polo

Can you tell us the story of the first time you played padel? Who introduced you to the sport? The first time I played padel I was just five years old. I started at the club in my hometown because both of my parents used to play, and they would always take me with them. I remember grabbing a tiny racket and hitting balls just for fun at first, but I instantly loved it. Since then, I never really put the racket down. I began competing in youth tournaments from a very young age, and padel quickly became a huge part of my life. It’s something that has grown with me ever since.

What does your weekly training schedule look like—both on and off the court? How does it change during tournament season? My weekly training schedule is pretty intense and structured. I usually train 1 hour and a half of padel every day, plus about 1 hour and 15 minutes of physical preparation. On the weeks when I don’t have a tournament, I’ll normally add another hour and a half of padel or play a practice match to stay sharp.

I also have weekly sessions with my psychologist, physiotherapist and nutritionist, and every day I do mobility work and meditation to keep both my body and mind in balance.

During tournament weeks, things shift a bit. On the days leading up to a match, we usually do one hour of padel and one hour of physical training to stay active without overloading. Then on match days, the focus is on recovery and preparing for the next round, both, physically and mentally.

With all the travel, training and competition, how do you carve out space for your personal life and relationships? It’s definitely a challenge sometimes, with all the travel, training, and competition. But I’ve learned how important it is to make space for my personal life and relationships, it’s what keeps me grounded.

Do you like the lifestyle of being a professional athlete? What’s an average day on tour look like? I do enjoy the lifestyle of being a professional athlete. I really like my daily routine and the structure it gives me, and I also feel very lucky to be able to travel, discover new places, and meet people from all over the world thanks to padel.

During tournaments, a typical day starts with a good breakfast, hydration, and then I do a visualization routine that I’ve worked on with my psychologist. Before matches, I follow a specific breathing and mental activation routine, and then I go through my warm-up, which is guided by my fitness coach.

After the match, it’s all about recovery (shower, physiotherapy, and resting properly to be ready for the next day.)

Walk us through your match-day outfit from head to toe. Are there any items that are superstitions or personal to you? On match day, I always wear a full outfit from Blanca Padel, including my racket, of course. I like to feel connected to the brand that supports me, and having everything coordinated helps me feel confident and ready.

There are also a couple of personal items I never go without: I wear a ring that I use for mental anchoring, it’s part of my routine to stay focused and grounded and a bracelet that I see as a kind of lucky charm.

What racquet are you currently using? Why do you like it? Right now I’m using the “La Jolla” racquet from Blanca Padel, which is also my main sponsor. It’s a power-focused racquet, and I absolutely love it, not just for how it performs on court, but also for its minimalist design. It feels super solid in my hand, gives me the confidence to go for my shots, and matches my playing style perfectly.

You’re currently playing with Noemi Carrillo. How did that partnership come about? What makes a good padel partner, on and off the court? I’m currently playing with Noemi Carrillo, and our partnership came naturally since we’ve been training together for quite a while. I think that’s a big advantage, it helps a lot to already have that connection and understanding from training sessions.

For me, a good padel partner is someone you trust and support. Communication is key, both on and off the court. You need to be able to talk openly about what’s working, what needs to improve, and always stay aligned as a team. At the end of the day, it’s about growing together and pushing each other to be better.

What stands out to you about the padel scene in the U.S.? Do you think it has the potential to become a top-tier market for the sport? What really stands out to me about the padel scene in the U.S. is how fast it’s growing. I honestly think it has the potential to become a top-tier market very soon. The energy around the sport there is incredible, and it’s attracting a lot of new players and investment. Personally, I’d love to live that experience and be based in the U.S. at some point.

One thing that people are focused on in the US is getting more women into the sport. Attracting men has been much easier. Is this a problem around the world as well? Why do you think it's a challenge to get women playing here in the US? I think the main issue is that there are simply fewer women competing in professional padel, and a big reason for that is economic. The earnings for women are much lower compared to men, which makes it really hard to afford the costs of traveling to compete and to attract sponsors. Very few women around the world are able to dedicate themselves full time to padel, and that’s a huge barrier to growing the women’s side of the sport, not just in the U.S., but globally.

Where do you see your career heading over the next five years—on the court and beyond? Would you ever consider opening a club, mentoring players or launching something of your own? Over the next five years, I see myself continuing to compete at the highest level and growing as much as I can as a player. I want to push my limits, be more consistent in top-level tournaments, and climb in the rankings. At the same time, I’m really interested in being part of the growth of padel in places like the U.S. ✸