Only at  18 years ,  Martina Calvo  has just entered the history of professional padel. Associated with  Claudia fernandez The young woman from Navarre won the  London Premier Padel P1 becoming in the process  the youngest player in history to win a tournament Premier Padel in  18 years, one month and four days .

An impressive journey, all the more surprising when you know that a few years earlier, Calvo saw himself more on a football pitch than on a padel court.

Before padel, there was football

Originally from Navarre,  Martina Calvo grew up with football She even had the opportunity to go through  Osasuna , the club in his region.

But she herself recounted it with a great deal of self-deprecation: football was perhaps not really for her.

"I wasn't given much playing time, I was pretty bad."

Calvo also played with boys, but acknowledges that she had more difficulty making a name for herself.

At the time, football held a significant place in his life. Until his  10 years She even explained that she preferred football to padel.

Padel eventually takes over

Gradually, the trend reverses.

Calvo realizes that she has much more skill with a paddle than with a ball. While football remains primarily a fun activity with friends, padel is starting to become an area where she truly excels.

"At 10 years old, I liked football more than padel, but I was better at padel. I stopped playing football around 12 or 13 years old."

A choice that will inevitably change the rest of his story.

Calvo focused on padel, progressed very quickly, and began to make a name for himself among young players. His power, speed, and especially his aggressiveness quickly became his trademarks.

A progression that is accelerating sharply.

The young Spaniard didn't appear overnight. Her development has been built up over the years, but in recent weeks, everything has accelerated.

Associated with  Claudia fernandez she immediately reached the final of the  Pretoria P1  for their very first tournament together. They came very close to winning their first title against the world number 1s.  Gemma Triay / Delfi Brea , beaten only in the tie-break of the third set.

A week later in London, they start again.

This time, they drop  Paula Josemaría / Bea González , then take their revenge on  Triay / Brea  finally,  7 / 5 6 / 3 .

Two tournaments together, two finals, one first title.

Youngest champion in history Premier Padel

With this victory, Martina Calvo also breaks a record.

She becomes the youngest player to win a tournament Premier Padelin  18 years, one month and four days , ahead  Andrea Ustero , who until then held the record at 18 years, two months and four days.

A symbolic detail that confirms how rapid his progress has been.

Osasuna has not forgotten Martina

His former football club was quick to react.

After his triumph in London,  Osasuna  publicly congratulated the player on her title and her record for precocity.

A nice nod to a sporting history that could have taken a completely different direction.

A few years ago, Martina Calvo was still trying to make a name for herself on a football pitch. Today, she has just beaten the best players in the world and become  the youngest champion in history Premier Padel .

Choosing padel over football seems to have been the right decision.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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