Hey, paddle en enthusiast.
Welcome to Paddle Smash Academy.
My name is Cez Paddle Club owner and entrepreneur.
Next to me is Julian Paddle Master Coach, and we're all about Paddle.
Welcome back guys to Paddle Smash Academy, and today we have a special.
Nicholas,
so when did you start paddle or tennis?
So which one did you start first?
Eh, I started e Everyone think that I started with tennis, but the real
story that I started with, with paddle because my, my father was professional
by play in that time, eh, like I'm.
15 years ago, I was, uh, eight years old.
So he, he did like, like a hobby.
He has his job and when he, he was done with his job, he was going to play to
train and to play matches and tournaments.
So I remember that, eh, staying two hours watching him, uh, training or,
or also the matches, uh, for a little window because in that moment the
pilot was concrete, was like hardcore.
And also the, was wasn't a good way to, to see what, what they were doing, but
I remember that was a window and I was there watching how they play for two
hours like that, like this, uh, just for after the match or, or a training
session to play 10 minutes with him.
So, so nothing I start with, with paddle until my, my father.
In that moment, they, how, how, how I say before the, the cord was hard.
So was for the rotation of that was a lot of pilot players
had injures in in their knees.
Knees, yeah.
So he, he, he injured, he both knees.
So the, there he told me no, he stopped playing paddle.
Uh, and he put me on a tennis court and I didn't see a, and I didn't
see a paddle court until, Like two years ago when I started again.
Wow.
Now is, was that, that wasn't here, right?
Where, where, where was that?
When I started again?
Yeah.
No, no.
When you started originally playing paddle?
No, no, no.
That was in your way.
In your way.
Where I'm from.
You're from your way from Monte.
From Monte, Andrea, yeah.
Oh, nice.
So then I start my, my tennis career since I think 10 years old
to 20 years old when I, I retire.
It was a lot of of expenses.
And what was your highest ranking in, in, in highest ranking?
I think, uh, 900, 1000.
I had a 14 HB points with, with 19 years old.
So I think I played Davis Cup two.
I think I did the, the, the, the best as I could with, with
what I had in that moment.
Yeah, because it's difficult.
It is.
It's a difficult career.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
So how did you transition from tennis to, to.
And where was that?
Here was here, was here in Miami two years ago.
A friend that is called Juan Carino.
Um, he invited me, I remember was was like, yeah, was two years ago.
He invited me to play pilot.
And I say, of course, why not?
And we went there, uh, and there was, was you fell in love with it again.
Yeah.
I remember that the first time there on the court and was.
Why I didn't do this before, when I didn't do this since I retired tennis,
I was losing, I lost a few years there.
So a big, big, big question.
So what do you like better?
Tennis or paddle?
I love tennis, but paddle.
Yeah.
PAD is amazing.
It's, it's a, it's too much fun.
And I, I think I, I prefer right now, uh, PA Paddle.
Yeah.
So at what point did you take paddles seriously?
You know, since the first day I started searching like, I want
to play tournament, I want to, I, I, I got that feeling back of.
So that, that I lost when I, when I retired in tennis.
Let me ask you a question, uh, when you first originally played Paddle,
and there's different shots in Paddle that are different than tennis.
So when you started playing tennis and went back to Paddle,
did you remember those shots or did you have to relearn that?
Again, I'm talking about like the man, just the back walls and those things.
I remember like some, eh, some shots I remember because watching my father,
so wasn't new that purple for me.
But yes, there was new thing that.
I had to, to go better because Right, right.
Yeah.
One, one of the shots that, eh, that that's an existing tennis is the, the Viv
Did you remember that back in the day or did you have to relearn that?
You learned that?
I didn't remember.
Yeah, I didn't remember.
But the smash, you, you remember, right.
That's the easy the smash.
Yeah.
Kali right in, in Paris.
You need to, when you have the, the time.
You need to add more, more slice, more follow through.
Also in tennis is more just blocking the ball right here when you have
the time when the body sits here.
But it is Exactly.
It different as as tennis.
So let, let, let me ask you now, so what, what is that you doing right now?
Right now you're doing tennis, you mean as a, as a job?
You doing tennis or paddle or you doing both or you doing one?
This two years since I start with, with Pilot, I was doing both things.
I was teaching tennis.
I was the director of, of Rivera School, um, the high
performance director over there.
Eh, so I, I was doing both things, but now I, it was time to.
To take a decision.
Uh, I wait to make the jump.
Exactly.
I wait as much as I as I can, but it's time.
So, so now you're planning to make paddle, uh, your way of life.
Exactly.
Meaning that's how you're gonna earn your money, either by coaching
or by playing or by doing both.
Exactly.
And I think it's, it's very, if I focus only in one thing,
I'm going to to be better.
It's difficult to be doing a lot of things.
So now I, I'm going to to be a hundred percent in, in p and.
Let's see what happened.
So, so you coach Paddle right now as well?
Yeah.
Uh, I, I coach Paddle, and I, I train every day.
And what clubs do you teach?
Uh, coach Paddle, eh, right now I don't have, I don't have a specific club.
I don't have a specific club.
I, okay.
Yeah.
And what tournaments do you play Our goal with?
With my partner that my partner on, uh, this year since I
started, eh, is Fernando.
And we, we are planning to play as much as we can the u p.
So we, we go as high as we can on the ranking.
The goal we set is, is to be by, to, to be number one of usa I don't know if,
if that's, that's what, that's the goal.
Let's, you're close, you're close, you know you're enough to hide.
You're number five.
And, and, and Fernando number four is number four.
And, and we like, it's, it's not that much point the difference, so.
We're going to try our best to, to make happen.
Let's see.
Maybe not next this year, maybe the next one, but the goal is, is there, how
far off are you guys from Peter Lonzo?
Yeah, I'm talking about within the top 10.
So two years ago, I, I thought like the distance was Yeah.
Was like this.
But my, my mind was positive.
I, I can get there, I can get there little by later.
And I, I think I, I got closer, eh, this time we, this year we had an amazing.
On a u p and, and we won that match.
I was so happy about that because two years ago, I, I thought was impossible.
Not impossible, but too difficult to, to get to that level.
And now I, I think he, he's, he's still, he has a lot of, lot of things
better than me, of course, because he has like 20 years more apart than.
But little by I'm, I think I, I, I'm getting, I'm getting
getting to that level.
So do all the players use him as a standard, I'm assuming, you
know Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, for I think, uh, Peter to come here in the USA was, was great for great
for us Also, the, the players that the, the players that want to become
better because race up the hard too.
They try harder.
Yeah.
Alright, Nicholas, let's talk about the ppl.
So, uh, there's a lot of, uh, people wanna know about it and, you know,
you get drafted and where you're playing and all these different things.
So why don't you tell us a little bit about the PPL and how that works?
Eh, I don't know that much to be honest, but I'm very excited about,
uh, about this because I, you got signed for WA team for Toronto.
I was signed as number one of, of to Toronto team, the Polar.
So how did that work?
How did you get drafted?
Were you on a phone or watching YouTube?
Watching?
I was watching.
They, they post, okay.
They, they, they post in the, in, in Instagram that they were doing live,
that people were going to be drafted.
Um, and I went there online in the first, in the first, uh, first pick.
They, they, they chose me and I was, wow, what you, but you have to
submit an application for be chosen.
So yeah.
So you submit an application, said, I'm interested, I'm interested.
They, I put information, everything, uh, the ranking, the, the USA ranking,
eh, they also ask videos, pictures, eh?
Yeah.
Okay.
So I signed an application.
Wow, that's great.
And so then they drafted you.
So what are your responsi.
As playing for the, uh, Toronto, right?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, there, I don't know that, to be honest.
I don't know that much.
Okay.
Uh, I know that the, the, that the first, the, the first, like the first
season is, uh, next, next month.
I think we are playing in, in Tampa and there, I think it's going to
come up, uh, news every day or, and, and then they go to Tampa.
All the teams, they go to Tampa, all the teams.
Okay.
Eight.
We are eight teams.
No, because you are signed by Toronto.
You have to be on Toronto location or anything like that.
So you can be.
And you only play in Tampa, or you're gonna be playing somewhere else too?
Right now the only, the only the first season I think is, is here in, in usa.
I don't know.
In the future, I know that there are also team Cancun, um, and other teams.
I don't know if, well, we have Miami.
We have Miami, uh uh, there're, yeah.
Let me ask you a very juicy question.
So that's Professional Paddle Lee, so you're getting.
Mm-hmm.
Nice.
That, that was, that was another question.
How much, oh, man, if you win or if you lose.
I, I think that's already said so I, I think I can talk about all this, huh?
Of course.
Especially in this podcast.
Nobody knows about this podcast.
So is, uh, per much, is, uh, 1000 just to win it or loose just to walk on
court for putting yourself on the court?
Is 1000 the match?
Okay.
Eh, the matches.
They are, uh, Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday is against one team, and Sunday is against another team.
So you play only two matches that weekend.
But there also, there is three matches.
The, uh, men's then, uh, woman's, woman's and then mix.
Oh, so you play with another.
If you play, uh, men's and mix, uh, you, you.
You put yourself on the court twice or you win more money.
So how do you decide your partner?
Or do they assign your partner or, yes.
They, they, they, they assign you a partner.
Yeah.
So winner loses a thousand dollars and if you win, you
get more money or you get more.
I know.
Yes.
Uh, so I know how much, but I, you get a minimum of a
thousand dollars just to play.
So for a weekend it could be $3,000.
Mm-hmm.
And who decides if you play Saturday and Sunday and you
play both ma twice each day for.
No, that, that could be a nice, I know doing only this for Manuel is good for us.
Yeah.
That's another question is, is do you see these tournaments now
increasing in, in, in prizes?
Because I've seen like, yes, there is, uh, red Paddle, I've seen this.
Everything's pushing the standards up and you, you know, is that a good thing?
And you know, for, how about the sponsorships?
Are they also increasing what they're paying you or they're
offering you for It's great that they're offering the money.
It's also great to grow the sport.
So because more people, I can take money about this and they're
going to, to start playing more and take it to, to the next level.
Exactly.
So let me ask you a question, eh.
Do you think people will be able to make a living of playing paddle at one point?
Mm, I think they do in war.
Oh yeah.
I'm talking about here in the us.
Here.
Yeah.
I think yes.
Yeah.
Right now I'm, I'm now I'm assuming with prize money and with, um, with
sponsorships, with sponsor, yes.
So how much of the sponsorships really, uh, you know, what part of that is, is in
your revenue, let's just say every year, is it, uh, half, you know, is it 30%?
You know, and what do they provide?
I don't know.
Right now, I don't have any sponsors.
Hit me up.
Um, um, but yes, I think, uh, I don't know.
Like I know that Levon has Red Bull ballot and he, a lot of
money that he does in the year.
It's more from, from the sponsor than from the press money.
Price money.
Yeah.
So, so yes, uh, sponsors are, are important for, uh, a player career.
That, that sounds exciting.
I mean, I think it will be great.
I mean, eventually there's only one way to go here is up.
Mm-hmm.
So eventually, I mean, it's, you are getting to the
beginning of this long journey.
I think my vision as a coach too, of Paddle Coach, I see professional
paddle going to the next level within the next couple years.
Mm-hmm.
And more people get involved every, every day.
You see Juan Martin getting involved, you know, former
tank players getting involved.
One one of of the owners.
Of, of, of my team is of Toronto, of the Polar Bears.
He's a vinco, he's a, a soccer player from the Sheens.
Oh, really?
He, yeah.
Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Wow.
That's good.
That, that's, that's, that's exciting.
So, and yeah, the other day I, I saw also video of, of Messi saying, I love P Yeah.
Also, I know Bacon plays paddle.
Yeah.
Eh, a lot, a lot of, of.
It's because it's an amazing sport.
Yeah.
Now going back to ppl, is that just a one event that one month and then that's it?
Or they're gonna have multiple events through the year?
I think it's long term.
Long, yeah.
Okay.
And you get drafted only for one year or, or it's for, the
contract is is for one year.
Next year I, the next season I there, I think like, like in soccer and all
that, you have the choice if they want.
To renew the contract or maybe another draft.
Yeah.
And do you know who's in your team right now?
Yeah.
In my team, in, in, in men's, in my team of, of mens is,
uh, me, Madre, uh, fto, fto.
Uh, What's the next step for, uh, Nicolas and Paddle?
I mean, where do you see yourself now in the next three years?
You're seeing a lot of development in leagues and prize money.
What's your ultimate goal in, in, in Paddle?
I want to be the best player.
Uh, can, uh, I don't know, eh, that that's my goal to get, I,
I not competing with nobody.
I just competing with, with myself to be the best as I can, as I did.
In tennis, eh?
Just because I love it.
I love the, I love the process.
I enjoy, I try to enjoy every day and to every day get, get a 1% better.
How, how many hours do you train per day?
Eh, I was, right now I increase, now I, I training three hours a day Before
we, we, when I was working as director, and that one hour and a half every.
But now that, that I have more time, I, I do it.
I, and, and how do you divide your three hours?
I mean, you do any physical conditioning or just pure on court?
Yes.
It's 2, 2, 2 in court.
Okay.
One with my personal training.
That is my, my brother.
Okay.
I bring him here from, from, eh and I doing every day one hour with
him on the gym and specific things to, to help your, your game panel.
Like I didn't in tennis, I, I remember my, that was a, was two hours.
Two hours in the, in tennis, I wa five hours a day.
Yeah.
Two hours in, in the morning.
Uh, tennis, two hours in the afternoon.
Tennis and one hour.
Yeah.
Fitness, I mean, tennis is single, so the physical condition is much more important.
You know, it's much more mental and all that.
Smaller space, but yeah, you have to spend the time on the court.
Mm-hmm.
To, to get the, you know, what do you think about the clubs,
the new clubs opening up?
You got ultra, you got reserved, you know, you got a, you
know, got a lot of clubs open.
You, what do you think?
Another place in in Chicago Open.
I'm going there this weekend.
Yeah.
Amazing.
They, they, they, I was, they did a, a tournament, they did a
tournament there for inauguration.
I wasn't able to go, but my partner Fernando went and he showed me
a video at the place looking.
Amazing.
Huh?
Great indoors too as well.
Yeah.
Wow.
Nice.
No, I know.
We transfer gr Great places to play.
We were amazing.
Like as always.
There's also Pa, PA Life.
That was one of the places I started playing two years ago.
Eh, now it's, there are courts.
Yeah.
Uh, also, and that's what we need actually to be better.
You need, you need the facilities, you need the courts.
Mm-hmm.
The chicken of the egg.
You need to have the chicken to have the egg.
Exactly.
You know?
Yeah.
So if not, you can't really become a good player or, or make the, the paddle grow.
And now there're also people that are building a, building
a courts in their houses.
Yeah.
Have a friend that build a court in, in pines here in, in his house.
Great.
So I think it's, it's coming bigger.
Bk before the interview, uh, we started the interview, we were
talking about your last tournament, which is was Las Vegas mm-hmm.
That you guys made it to the finals.
Mm-hmm.
And you lost against Nico, against Nicolia.
And they're great, great opponents and great friends too.
Yeah.
I enjoy playing with them.
And we, we were talking about, because I did play in, in
that, in that club as well.
That.
How much difference are the, the, the, the weather conditions, you know, Las
Vegas's, higher altitude, super dry.
Mm-hmm.
Super hot.
So the ball tends to fly much more compared to here in Florida.
So tell us about your experience there or those matches.
How, how, how they did it go?
How, how did you adapt it to?
It was too fast, I think.
Was they fasted by like a year play?
It was like very different.
Very different as here in Miami.
Eh, to be honest, I didn't like it that much because the point was, was short.
I like long point more feeling, you know?
Yeah.
Here was too fast.
Uh, I love, I love that.
On that is, was on the, on the, on the baseline.
On the baseline.
They, they, They can hit it and, and bring it back the ball.
Really?
Yeah.
Wow.
What was too fast?
Yeah, I, I didn't like it that much.
Uh, but that's, that's part you need to adapt a good player.
Exactly.
Play in every play.
So, and, and let me, when you got there, did you have time to prepare for the
match or you just got there into the tournament and you went straight to play?
Because I mean, I think that will be uhhuh.
That's why in tennis professional plays, they go there a week
or, or a few days before to.
You gotta get used to the balls.
The, the, the weather.
Yeah.
The conditions and all.
Did you have time to prepare?
We arrived, uh, uh, Friday and yes, we, we went on the call like, uh,
like one hour, but wasn't enough.
Yeah, wasn't enough.
And you were saying also the balls that were different as well.
They were Adidas and they were also fast.
Like, I think it's better in if, if a chord is fast as that.
If you put the more slower, like in tennis, if you.
If there was a plane in Laas Bolivia, but the tennis balls
were dead because, so yeah.
The ball doesn't fly everywhere.
Yeah.
So I think if the cho is, is, is fa is fast like that, it's
better to put a bit more Yeah.
So it's more adjust more.
Yeah.
I tell all my, especially hear with the weather when it gets humid
and, and, and wet and all that.
I always tell my students, Every day is a different game that you have to play
because you have to adapt to the Exactly.
Weather conditions of that specific day.
Mm-hmm.
You know, the courts are wet or the balls are humid because
here the ball doesn't run.
Mm-hmm.
You know, when they're super wet.
So I think it's, the adaptation is very important for everybody to know.
So the people that may not know, uh, why do, why was it, uh, very fast
because of the heat and the humidity?
Because was high.
The altitude.
Oh, the altitude, I think it's two, 2,400, something like that of attitude.
And, uh, also the court was, was hot also, the court was.
Uh, was a bit old.
So the Yeah, yeah.
But, but when we, is that hot, I mean, one of the things for, for the viewers
and listeners to know that when the glass gets very hot, also the bolt
jumps much more outta the glasses.
I saw, saw the war pile too, I think in, in Chile.
Yeah.
That was also fast.
Yeah.
Where players were hitting from behind, behind the line.
Yeah.
Every time.
Yeah.
So is, is that what you did?
You adapted a little bit, started hitting behind the line as well, started changing
a little bit of your game, right?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
You have to, if, if the conditioner like that, you better hit, if not you.
They're gonna, yeah.
They're gonna hit smash you.
They're gonna smash you.
Right?
Yeah.
I got the same time when I was playing there that it was very
difficult to control the shot.
I was like, all over the place, you know?
Yeah.
It's, it's very, very fast.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
And when it's dry here in south Florida, the humidity plays a big factor
because everything gets very heavy.
Uhhuh there is super dry and, and, and they both very lively.
I prefer to play not fast and not, not fast and not slow.
Like something in the middle is better paddle.
You need to adapt.
Yeah.
Its like that.
When is your next tournament?
I'm going to play the 28th.
The 28th of this month of April.
The red pile that there's a big, uh, where Placeman in the Woodlands.
That's in Houston.
Oh, in, in Texas.
In Texas.
Houston, the Woodlands.
Yeah.
That's the one that we talk about in the pocket.
About $20,000 in price Money.
Yeah.
They put, so it's going, I think with 20,000.
With 20,000, they're going.
Player from all lot of the players are going with good level.
Oh yeah.
Because they also have a rating, so it's not like anyone can play.
You need to have a specific rating.
Rating For the division one?
Yeah, for the fir first draw.
So do they they have their own ratings and the system.
They have their, their, their own rating.
Yeah.
Gotcha.
And where are you in that rating?
I mean the division one, I think I'm, uh, 17.
My rating is 17.
17.
Now, who are you gonna be playing?
With Fernando.
Fernando, okay.
Let me ask you one thing.
Now you've been playing with Fernando, which he's an amazing player.
Um, how do you, you know, sometimes you see couples breaking up and changing
partners and all that, and I know Fernando had a few other partners and you, but you
guys have been playing together what maybe what, six, seven tournaments already?
So yes, since January of this year, we played like six, seven
tournaments and we did pretty good.
We, we had a, I think.
Eh, you, you, you guys won a couple tournaments, right?
Yeah.
We won.
Um, we won eh four outta five us u p Uhhuh.
We, we won, we played five.
We won four, and we lost here in the final in Las Vegas, eh, then
we lost semifinals in one red pile.
Oh, that was with Peter Lonzo?
Yeah.
No, that was with, no, with and oh two.
Great players.
Um, and lemme ask one thing.
What will, do you think it will be the secret to have that
chemistry going for such a long time when you have two players?
You know, what, what, what do you think is the, eh, what the communication,
like you need to have a feeling with, with your partner, like, You cannot
go and, and put and put faces on him.
Yeah.
Like that.
Because that may make us travel in the, in the, yeah.
In the feeling of, of the, of the team.
Sometimes some faces, uh, are, uh, how you say, uh, silence.
Silence.
Youk.
Yeah.
Naturally, naturally, you face like this, but when you realize it's okay, it's okay.
Come on.
Pardon?
Right.
Yeah.
And that's a good way to, to keep going in a match.
It's, it's a, a team game, so yeah, you gotta motivate your partner Exactly.
Positive.
And you have in Fernando next to you that, you know, he has much more
experience as, as a paddle player.
Now, have you learned a lot from him?
Yes.
Yeah, A lot, a lot of him, I, I learned a lot of him, a lot of of tactics.
Uh, he, I learned with him a lot of, eh, not too much tiny, because
with that, I'm also tennis coach.
I see the strokes of the professional tennis player and I, I try to, to
copy them and to put it in my game.
I, the paddle players.
The paddle player, yeah.
Yeah.
I need to, yeah, I think I need to Strategies more please.
Strategies more.
He, he helped me more intra on how to play the, how to build a point.
Yeah.
Not to rush, wait to weigh the, the opportunity to attack.
When to defend.
When to attack.
Exactly.
When to do a, a.
Excellent.
That's all the experience.
Exactly.
All the experience.
Yeah.
No, Fernando was, I think for seven years he was a, the number one of
usa and now when, when Peter came, he didn't lose a single tournament
and now Peter is the number one.
Yeah.
But we are trying to to, to recover that recapture.
Recapture that recapture.
Yeah.
Well, Nico, I mean, we just wanna say thank you so much for stopping by.
Uh, it was a pleasure talking to you.
We know that you know, and we know that you're looking for sponsors.
So anyone listening, he's the top five player in the nation, United States.
It doesn't get any better than him.
So if you're looking for a great paddle player or sponsor, or even
coach, here's the guy right here.
Thank you Juliana.
Caesar was great to talk with you and keep going, like what
you are doing because it's great.
I love the content.
Let's keep rolling guys.
If you haven't already, make sure that you hit that subscribe button
and turn on your notifications.
And remember, it's free 99.
It doesn't cost you anything to hit that subscribe button.
Thanks for tuning into Paddle's Smash Academy.
We hope you'll find our videos informative, helpful in improving your
game and learning old things paddle.
So until next time, keep improving your game.
And remember, learn, play, and share.