10(ish) Questions With…
Matt Hansen

Tell us about your introduction to padel, when did you first play? I was first introduced to the game from Andrew Herring, my friend and USTA tennis league doubles partner. We both belonged to the West Side Tennis Club at the time and Andrew put together a WSTC Padel Night at Padel Haus Williamsburg in February, 2023. Padel was fast action and tons of fun, but it took a few months for me to gradually shift from playing tennis 5 times per week to completely focusing on padel. Padel Haus was incredible at providing a phenomenal community full of players of all levels and playing styles for me to grow my passion for the sport. Santiago Gomez, Jordi Massaneda & Pablo Munoz-Hernandez truly have done an exceptional job curating a culture of fun, competition and inclusivity across Padel Haus. 

What were some of the biggest challenges coming from tennis? WALLS. They’re always the biggest initial obstacle when making the transition from tennis. I can’t tell you how many times I tried to take every ball early to make sure the ball never went to the wall, but eventually you realize the wall can be your friend. Patience is another key factor in the switch where you have to change from the mindset of blasting serves, forehands and overheads to working the point and mastering thinking 2-3 steps ahead in padel. The backhand for me was also a big adjustment, going from a two-handed to a one-handed backhand while focusing on shorter, more compact swings to be effective. 

Many people I speak with say that converting young tennis pros to padel is key to its growth in the US. Would you agree with this? That’s definitely a solid route to improve the level in the US in the short term. Continuing to grow the game so that kids can have affordable access to padel, access to international coaches at US clubs with years of padel experience and eventually the ability to play padel in the school systems from middle and high school to college will be true difference makers in the next 10-15 years. 

What do you see as the biggest barrier to growth in the USA? Affordable access to courts and finding a way to tap into the tennis, platform tennis and pickleball communities in a collaborative fashion. Padel has grown quite a bit in a very short period of time, but right now it’s very much an affluent sport. As the sport grows it will be important to be able to democratize it by allowing access to all income levels where there can be a range of high-end padel clubs to more affordable community-based courts. 

What does it mean to you to represent team US in padel tournaments around the world? As a fan, I can say that we’re really rooting for all of you! It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States in tournaments like the Senior World Championships, Pan-American Club Championships and the Amateur Pan-American Championships. Being able to participate at those events really opens your eyes to the unbelievable level of padel that exists across the globe in places like Argentina, Spain, Sweden, Brazil, etc. It’s also really fun to be in a team environment where you’re rooting for your teammates, get high level competition matches and first-class training from the US Team coaches. I was also fortunate enough to represent Padel Haus in the club competition in Mexico and that was truly unforgettable on and off the court. 

What kind of training do you do off the court? Walk us through an average training session. Off the court, I usually train in the gym 2-3 times per week which consists of full body workouts focused on my shoulders, back, arms and legs. This includes doing plyometrics and some footwork drills which is in addition to the 4 times I play padel each week. On-court time is focused on drilling twice a week, a private lesson with Alvaro Pecos a first-class coach at Padel Haus and then one match or open play per weekend. 

Is it hard to balance your professional, personal and padel lives? Between training and competing, there mustn't be much time left over. It can be challenging at times to balance all of the travel for tournaments along with working a full time job and a social life in NYC. I work in tech sales which is hybrid so the long hours can be challenging, but I usually train at 7 AM in clinics as part of the Padel Haus Academy. I’ll try to get to tournaments early to train especially if outdoors and will work remotely. I was fortunate to get as high as 16 in the USPA rankings in 2023 but now the level has gone up considerably with many D1 tournaments looking like true professional tournaments. Tech sales helps pay the bills for padel and more, so that’s good motivation to focus on my professional life. Outside of work and padel, I still try to find time for dates and spending time with friends in Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

Head-to-toe what is your usual kit? What do you wear when you play? I’m sponsored by Adidas (All Racquet Sports) so I’m always head-to-toe in their kits. I’ve always loved Adidas as a brand since I was a kid so the opportunity to collaborate with them was very exciting. I usually sport a hat and wristbands and I’ve been told from time to time I’m Andy Murray’s doppelgänger on court. Now if only I could play as well as him that would be great - lol. 

Other than what you’re wearing, what gear do you keep in your bag? My bag is full of the Adidas Metalbone 3.3s that play incredibly well. I typically keep my Padel Haus hat, plenty of wristbands, Cliff Bars, Liquid IVs and my tripod in my bag. I try to record all my practice matches and tournament matches for a fun highlight for IG and to watch back on what I can be improving in my game. 

Where do you like to see padel in the US in five years? Padel is going to explode in the next five years in my eyes. With all kinds of new padel clubs in the US, potentially 2 or more Premier Padel events and younger US players starting to make strides on the larger stages. Also, USPA and Red Padel will only continue to grow exponentially level-wise. Division 1 will become a true professional division and guys like myself will be participating in D2 or potentially lower. Getting to the level of powerhouses like Argentina and Spain may take over a decade but I think the US has the infrastructure, financial capital and athletes to eventually make the jump. Also, I see major expansion for clubs like Padel Haus in the US with locations across the major cities to get even more player participation. 

Pre-match meal? Post-match drink? If it’s a morning match I try to keep it light with an Acai bowl. If it’s later in the day I try to keep it simple with a salad or sandwich on tournament day. Post-match drink if we are celebrating after on the town it’s likely going to be Japanese Whiskey or tequila. ✸