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Hey Padel enthusiasts welcome to Padel Smash Academy, I am Cesc and I am here with Julian and we're all about Padel! Whether you're new to the sport or an experienced player, you've come to the right place. Our goal is to provide you with the best tips & tricks, news, and weekly lessons to help you improve your game and take your Padel to the next level. So grab your Padel Racket and let's get started with all things Padel on Padel Smash Academy.
Hello everyone, this is Julian and Cesc
and welcome to Padel Smash Academy.
Today we're so excited to have Rudi
Kalil and Alejo Khalil, two very,
very important, uh, people in the
paddle world in the United States.
We are all things paddle.
Rudy.
Alejo, welcome to the channel.
Rudy, uh, I've seen you here, we're,
we're in the reserve cap series,
uh, Motorola, you work for Motorola,
you're one of the biggest sponsors.
Tell us a little bit how
that partnership came about.
You know, I think you guys know I'm
very passionate about the sport.
Uh, you know, we have been involved with
the sport for a few years and, and we
are seeing, we are following everything
that is happening around the world.
And this is the fast, fastest
growing sport in the world.
I think the UN s has been behind, right?
That I think the US right now, pretty
much everywhere you go, everywhere
you travel, you can find a court, a
club, uh, whatever, uh, model it is.
You, you can get a game.
And, um, I think we want to be, you
know, as, as a company, right, uh,
we are competing against giants such
as Apple and Samsung that spend, you
know, ridiculous amounts of money in
advertising and, and, you know, we
cannot go dollar to dollar to them.
So we have to be creative
and do different things.
So we started to invest in sports
partnerships, uh, back in 2007.
We sponsored the Indiana
Pacers and in the NBA.
Then we invest or we partnered
with the Brooklyn Nets,
Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucs.
Uh, then we got into MLB.
MLB, uh, we have been long time
partners of the Chicago Cubs, but then
MLB opened the patch on the jerseys.
So we first sponsored
the San Diego Padres.
And recently last year, we
sponsored the Chicago Cubs.
So we have been investing
in sports for some time.
And, you know, I think now is the time
since we continue to do things, uh,
that innovate and also finding the best
way to expose our brand, knowing that
that the sport, uh, it's very targeted
to high social classes in this country.
You know, our razor phone is the
flagship for us to, you know,
to expose to this community.
So yeah.
Cool.
Cool.
You know, we want to be ahead of the game.
I think we, we see what is going
to happen with the sport in the
country and, uh, we want to lead.
So now you got Okay, so are you guys
going to be sponsoring any other events,
uh, paddle events in, in this year, 2025?
You know, right now we have not,
uh, committed to anything yet.
I think, uh, Reserve Cup is a start.
Um It's a big start.
It's like the top.
You're going from the top there, you know?
Yeah, you know, I think in the past, uh,
I think there was a tournament in 2023.
Uh, in New York, an A1 tournament.
Oh, that's right.
We sponsored as well.
That's right.
Uh, unfortunately they didn't have other
tournaments in the U. S. Uh, Reserve
Cup, I think we are starting, as you were
saying, with the, with the most exclusive
event and, and they have three events.
Next one is, is New York.
We're definitely talking.
We, we obviously want to, to make
sure our brand is properly exposed.
So, uh, I cannot say it's a done
deal, but I think, uh, we have
high interest of keep doing that.
You know, the premier panel is also coming
to Miami, so we are talking to them.
So.
As I said, right, that sports are very
close to our heart, you know, Fidel is
even closer to my heart, personally,
but, you know, they don't have to sell
to me, they have to sell to my team.
Because I'm already sold.
So, Rudy, tell us, you also
are, uh, A paddle entrepreneur.
Tell us how's the club.
You're the first club in
the Chicago area, correct?
Correct, yeah.
We opened back in December of 2022.
And we did the review like last year.
Yeah.
So, we're looking for an update on how the
club's going, how the community's going.
Are there more people playing paddle?
So, uh, it's a great question, right?
I think Well, what's the club?
Yes.
No, Le Club.
No, the name, the name of the club.
Uh, Padel Clube.
Okay, Padel Clube, good.
Yeah, so Padel Clube, you know,
Clube is club in Portuguese.
Oh, okay.
I'm originally from Brazil,
that's why, uh, Clube, uh, is
the, the, the name of the club.
Um, so Chicago, we were the
first and we were the only.
We are still the only.
Uh, it's, it's very difficult to
build a community being the only one.
I think we have We are seeing more people
play, um, we are seeing people play more
often, but still, you know, Chicago is the
third largest city in the country, right?
The city is too big, it would
accommodate easily 10, 15
clubs, and we are the only one.
So, so it's developing, but
slower than I would like.
There are four projects coming this year.
, uh, I'll say 2025 is still gonna be
like the community building mode.
I think 2026 is gonna be a great year.
So for Pado in Chicago, are you
getting people driving from Chicago
there or are you getting people from
the community from all over, you know
Chicago, from downtown to the club.
It's 40 miles.
Yeah, I drove it.
So, so, but there are, you know,
big suburbs like Naper View.
Uh, there is another, I don't know,
close to 40, Schaumburg, but we
have people coming from all over.
And, you know, I actually, I
have a couple or three guys that
come from Milwaukee every week.
Wow.
Yeah.
So Milwaukee is probably 60
miles, but it's all highway, so.
So what percentage of people are you
getting that already know about paddle
and they're driving because they love
paddle or let's just say in their
country they play paddle versus like.
People who just got introduced to it.
50 50 I would say.
I think 50 percent is aware, comes
from an international community.
50 percent is between locals.
or international that
heard but never played.
So And where do you find now you've
been open, what, four years, five years?
Two years, two years.
Two years, two months.
So now you went through the transition
period of a new club and all that.
Where do you find the challenges
right now after two years?
It's being the only one.
You know, it's very difficult
to build the community.
We are still niche, right?
Because people need
that sense of community.
If you have another club,
you can do Interclubs, right?
Club versus club.
And you have a third club.
You know, I think we all
experienced that in Miami, right?
So if you have two clubs, you
have two X people playing.
You have three clubs, you have five X.
You have four clubs, you have ten X.
The first club always does all the work.
Of course, of course, of course.
So it's a lot of energy
and community building.
You know, a lot of nice stuff
we have been doing, right?
We had the major from the USPA last year.
Uh, we have some, some senior tournaments.
So this year, I think this is
really great news to share.
Um, FIIP has, uh, you know, FIIP is
involved with the premier tournaments,
but also they have the FIIP Rise, FIIP
Star tournaments to develop professional
paddle, but, uh, they have promises.
FIIP promises are tournaments.
Focused on, uh, youth development, 14
and under, 16 and under, 18 and under.
Wow.
Uh, the first FIP promises tournament
that is going to be hosted in
the U. S. It's at Padel Clube.
Wow!
April 18th to 20th.
So I Congratulations.
When I was with Alejo at the Pan
American Games in Mexico last year,
I approached, approached them.
I knew about the tournament, so
I started to talk to them and,
you know, spent a lot of energy.
You guys know me.
So I've been chasing them and not
giving them a lot of air to breathe.
And, uh, I finally got it.
So April 18th to 20th.
That's what we really need
for the sport to develop.
We gotta focus on the juniors,
on the junior development.
That's the secret.
That's the future of the sport.
You know what I mean?
All of us can play forever, but,
you know, we need to focus on that.
Well, let's talk about that, Alejo.
How was your experience
there at the padel?
Well, yeah, let's talk about
Alejo, but he is one of the next
gen future padel promised parts.
I've seen him play.
I mean, incredible.
We're so happy to have
you here the channel.
Okay, and and tell us how
you doing How you playing and
on all those exciting news?
Um, I've been great I think it's just an
incredible moment and I think it's just
so much fun to play and I'm so proud of
my dad and I'm so happy to have like a
real tournament because in in Mundeleiner
in Chicago where we have the club I
play against adults and it's it's very
fun and it's good for my development
But it's it's not realistic because
then when I come to To like the Pan
Americans and the World Championships.
I'm playing kids my age And I think this
fee promises will bring so many people
and like the proper training I need for
the Pan American So I'm super excited
and my partner will be Oliver Dick,
and I'm super excited to play with him.
We played on the u. s. In 2023 Yes.
In the, yeah, in the world championships.
And I'm super excited to play with him.
So he's coming all the way from
Argentina just to play with you.
Wow.
He must be very special player.
Yeah.
I'm, I'm, I'm very excited.
Um, so tell us your experience
of the Pan-American and what does
the United States team needs to
be at, at, at a higher level.
So I think the experience is incredible.
It just gives us like such a good
idea of the life of an athlete.
We, we do trainings and I think
it's just a fun experience.
We meet a lot of new people.
And the U. S. team is great.
I just, um, I think we need more
exposure because everybody looks at
us downed because we have Argentina,
we have Spain, we have all those.
Bigger countries.
And I think the more players we get,
the more chances we'll have to win.
And I think we've been doing
great with that so far.
We've been meeting many new
players, giving many new players
chances to join the team.
And I'm very excited
for the upcoming talent.
Seems like we're playing catch
up, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
We're so ahead and we're trying to
catch up, you know what I'm saying?
I think we'll have very
powerful years ahead.
And you can have the balance of both,
you know, building the clubs, more
courts, more players, and develop that.
Tell me a little bit about, uh, Tato and
Lorena are the two coaches for the team.
I love them both.
They're both amazing people.
They're great coaches.
Tato was my coach because
Lorena was coaching the girls.
Tato's a great coach.
He, I see them a lot in Pueblo X
in Miami and I think they're just
great coaches and great people.
I'm glad to have them back this year
to coach the U. S. team, and I'm
very excited for this year with them.
And do you have a coach up in
Chicago, or who do you play with?
My dad is mostly my coach.
Not coaching, you know, I can't,
you know, I want to keep the
good relationship with him.
So we play a lot together, but,
you know, he doesn't do basketball,
he doesn't do court work is most
of the time is just hitting and
also pick up games that helps him.
Yeah.
Develop, uh, his skills and, you know.
He's also my agent, so I mean.
Oh my, wow.
Well, let's talk about that.
I'm sure you got a lot of people
who want you to use their racket,
so let's talk about that scenario.
Yeah, I'm super happy with, with Wilson.
Wilson is my sponsor.
I'm so happy to partner with them.
My Dad's Club is sponsored by Wilson.
I love their rackets.
I'm just so excited to have them.
So which racket, which
model racket do you use?
So I have the Bella Lite.
Yeah, Bella Lite.
The Bella Lite.
It's a great racket
because I'm still young.
I'm still developing.
I'm using a lighter racket
because I'm a right player.
I don't need to be able to
take it out from the line.
I just need to focus on putting it in
and having good volleys and bandejas.
And I think this is a
perfect racket for me.
So, now that you mentioned that,
it's, you're a right type player.
You, the development as a player, let's
say now you have a partner that is much
better than you on the right, don't
you think it's better to be Do you
work on both sides to be better at it?
And that's what I do.
I work on both sides.
I always, whenever I play with people,
besides my dad, because he always plays
the left, I'm like, let me play the left,
because I think it's super important to be
good at both sides, because you never know
when they're like, oh, I play the right.
So you need, I think it's a very
handy tool to know how to play
both, and that's something I can do.
Even if I can't take it out from behind
the line, I'm going to get the job done.
Okay, so we usually ask these to
professional players, but We go to a,
you know, um, shooting questions here.
So, what is your best shot?
I'd say either volley or bandeja.
Those are my two best shots.
Good.
I think, um, pahay, pared too.
My lob, my lob was the best thing.
Yeah, I remember that.
You were like a lob master there.
In the Pan American Games,
I had a match against Chile.
We won 7 6.
Yeah, it was a tight match.
Yeah, tight match.
And I think I gave More than
3, 000 loves, I imagine.
Probably more.
It's just, I take advantage
because I'm a smaller guy.
I'm just, I'm undersized and I
think the lob is the most important
thing for me because I'm not gonna
be able to beat them with my hands
'cause they can just attack me.
So anytime I had in that match, whether
it's, I could have attacked, I gave
the lob so we have a better chance
for my left player to finish the play.
And on the pan s you play, you
play one division up, right?
Yeah.
So you play higher division?
So in the world Championships I
Oh, in the world championships?
Yeah.
I still play up so I can
play 14 for another year.
I've been playing up since I was 12.
Wow.
So, in the world championships, it didn't
go as planned, that I, I didn't play as
well as I wanted to, but I think as I get
older and as I get bigger, I think I'm
going to be dominating the competition.
Wow.
That's the attitude.
That's right.
I know you've been for many, many
years, a lot of years, like 14 years.
How old are you now?
I'm 13 now.
13. 13 years.
You've been a multi sport athlete.
Yes.
From tennis, ice hockey.
To baseball.
Baseball.
Baseball.
Baseball.
Baseball.
Baseball.
Basketball.
Basketball.
Soccer.
Soccer.
Why paddle?
So that's a good question.
I think paddle is just, in my
opinion, the best sport there is
out there for anybody, to be honest.
Um, it's just such a great
and fun sport for me.
And I love baseball.
I play baseball like very
competitively as well.
But I think It's gonna be it's much
harder to make pro and because I'm very
undersized and it's difficult for me
to keep up I also play up in baseball.
So I I just love powder and it's
just such a great sport for me And
I I've always loved record sports.
Although I'd never played tennis in
my life I just I played tennis me
was like three four for a birthday
party and in Miami, but it's just
Just Follows is such a great sport.
I just I just love it.
We we need we need more
Alejo's Here to the youth.
You know, the youth.
More youth.
The youth, you know what I mean?
So where do you see
yourself two years from now?
Three years from now?
Really depends.
I mean, high school's next year
and I gotta figure that out.
But, um, do you guys know where, what
you guys are doing for high school?
Yeah, I think.
I think I'm gonna go to
IMG Academy for baseball.
But um, even if I end up not
staying all four years, I'm going
to know how to live like an athlete.
That's just a very valuable thing to have.
And whether I go and stay four
years or take on paddles, my
passion and I think it's important.
'cause now I know how
to live like an athlete.
My nutrition is super important as well.
What do you think at your level, what,
what, what is needed for you to take
your paddle game to the next level?
I mean, staying here in the U. S.,
a lot of the players like Ornella,
you know, she moved to Spain.
What do you think?
Yeah, I think you can share what
you're going to do with you.
So, I'm going to, I think I'm
going to, I'm going to go see
Ornella, and we're going to go
train in Spain for spring break.
And summer, yeah.
And in the summer, so I think, um,
one thing that I think would be
incredible is if I take two years at
IMG, and then go maybe study abroad in
Spain and take paddle as my passion,
because I think so far, I just And if
baseball doesn't work out for me, I
really want to have this by my side
so I can take that at a younger age.
Baseball?
Forget about baseball.
Chewing tobacco, spitting, you
know, the games take too long.
Yeah, you know what I mean?
You get a belly, you know.
Yeah, but this is, this is I think
what we are trying to do, right?
So he's still young and , you know, when
I'm not short, uh, the mom is not short,
so he's definitely gonna have good size.
Yeah.
So I think that is gonna help him a lot.
So we are just, I think
giving him the tools to Yeah.
To have this athletes' life.
Yeah.
And I think the transition, you
know, between one sport to the
other won't be that difficult.
And that's why we are, you
know, I think high school
would be more baseball focused.
Yeah.
But you know, there is a
club in Sarasota, very close.
Yeah.
He'll be able to play.
Uh, I have already talked
to the guys at IMG.
I think baseball season is
lighter November, December.
So if normally this is the time
that you have Pan Americans and
Ward, uh, junior championship.
So it's timing is perfect, but we
are also going to Spain, right?
We are spending, I think, all in all,
maybe three weeks to four this year.
Um, as part of the Wilson contract,
they are also taking him to.
to Malaga for a week of training, and
then we are going to Alicante with,
uh, Adriano, Ornella, and Claudio.
Yeah.
Uh, for him to, to get more
exposure to the game, to practice.
Because, again, uh, as we were
saying, right, I'm the dad, so I,
there is so much I can do with him.
Yeah.
So he doesn't do typical pedal training.
What he does is play.
Yeah.
So, you as a, as a father of, um, a
future pedal player, club owner and
all that, What, what does the United
States needs or what support it needs
to develop the junior development?
I think, uh, there are many things, right?
I think it starts with the basics.
We need more courts to
develop the sport in general.
Coaches too.
Yeah, absolutely.
It's the entire infrastructure, right?
You have courts, then you
have the need for coaches.
You have the courts, then you
have the need for coaches, right?
You have the coaches, then you
have the need for tournaments.
I think we are probably in a much
better place on the tournament side.
I think that went ahead,
especially because of the
prize money that is involved.
Right, right, right.
Um, you know, I, last year I wrote a
document to the USPA suggesting that,
you know, there are many clubs You
know, fighting for bigger tournaments
and offering more prize money.
I say, why don't you establish a
rule that part of the prize money
goes to a youth development fund?
Yes, you know, allocate
five percent, ten percent.
And with that money, you
can develop the program.
Unfortunately, unfortunately right now,
you know, there is first, no funding.
Second, you are competing against Kids
that go to play tennis that they can
get a scholarship for down the road.
Baseball, you know, football, basketball.
So I have tried many things in Chicago.
I have, you know, I have, uh, I have
had junior tournaments in my club
that I offered to play for housing.
For the players, players who would
only have to pay for the flights.
And I did a senior tournament
at that time, so the parents
could come and play as well.
So pretty much, the parents
would get free housing.
But, you know, very
little success in that.
So, we need to think differently, and I
think it starts with the basics, but you
need to have a minimum funding, right?
You know, we talked about Tato and Lorena.
They're wonderful people,
but They do it for free.
They do it for free.
They don't have resources.
I think that's a great idea
about donating a certain percent.
But I think that could be allocated
to, uh, because this is a situation.
You have the club, right?
The club needs to be profitable.
A lot of these clubs are
just barely being profitable.
So they can't afford to give
away, you know, time, right?
Because that's where they make
the money, renting the court.
But if that money could be allocated
to be used for time for juniors,
okay, so juniors wouldn't have to pay.
coaching or anything, but that money
is allocated to pay the club, then
we can get juniors to get in there
and not worry about the, because what
it is, this is an expensive sport.
You know, the youth, it's tough to
have the parents pay for these youth,
and then we could lose a lot of great
you know, paddle players to other
sports that is free, let's just say.
Look at this, right?
Right, exactly.
So, you have, you have a good idea to
start, it's just how you allocate that
money, or you have it somewhere where.
Okay.
If I'm a youth, I can apply, I can get it.
And that's a credit to this club.
And now I don't have
to worry about paying.
I go there and I, you know,
and to be honest, right.
What, what I think, um, clubs
are offering price money.
At the end of the day, price, money are
going to international players coming here
because it's cheaper stealing the money.
They're taking cheaper to pay the
ticket and, and, and get the money.
So we are not developing the sport.
We are just attracting
people from outside.
Sure.
Force the club you, you know, you don't,
don't ask the club to add on top of that.
You just say it's 10,000 price money.
It becomes nine to the players.
Thousand goes to development fund.
Development fund.
What you can do, you can have ta,
you can pay TA and Lori Right.
To spend some time selecting the kids.
Yeah.
And then you take these kids to somewhere.
You can take the kids to Argentina,
you can take these kids to Mexico.
You can, you can take them to Spain.
Yeah.
Right.
I think parents will be help,
uh, very happy to co fund, right?
But as you're saying, it's expensive.
But it has to be a balance.
You cannot keep just giving money away and
attract more international adult players.
And not, you know, losing, you
know, you're losing an opportunity.
Because the money is already there.
Just allocate differently.
Yeah.
So, uh, as a club owner, when
you make a decision to host a
tournament, USPA or Red Paddle?
And do you think that's a conflict?
Because To be honest, we have never
hosted a Red Paddle tournament.
I think now Red Paddle is deep into USPA.
So, um, I don't know.
I think the calendar in
general has conflicts.
I think you have to streamline it.
I think this year it's a, it's a, it's
a, it's, it seems to be better organized.
You have the age groups created versus the
open, but, um But again, I, I, I always
think that the more the better, right?
It helps develop the sport.
You grew up playing sports.
You know, we come from the
tennis world and all that.
And when we play tennis, we play
tennis for the passion of the sport.
We didn't play tennis
for the money, right?
Don't you think it's all
these money tournaments to
attract people for 300, 400?
They don't come here
for the 300 or the 500.
They come in here for
the love of the sport.
So don't you think that, uh,
the money tournaments play
against the growth of the sport?
You bring people from outside to take
the money away and they don't come back.
It's like a catch 22 kind of, you know?
You know, I think, I think first,
right, the more tournaments the better.
I think prize money tournaments, I
think You know, I, I wouldn't say
they got out of control because it's
good in a, uh, from one perspective.
But if you look at the equation at
the end of the day, how many local
players that we have developed?
None.
All the players came from outside, right?
Look at the top players
in the USPA ranking.
They were not here two years ago when
we didn't have prize money tournament.
So that's what I'm saying.
You know, keep.
Um, you know, if people are willing
to invest, let them invest, but
let's create some rules to benefit
the development of the sport.
Yeah.
Conditions.
I think that's, that's fair.
Yeah.
That's fair.
I don't think any club owner would
say, Oh, I have to increase my prize
money to, for a youth development or,
Oh, I, the perception is negative.
You know, I think it's, it's
totally fine to, to have.
Prize money tournaments, but
get a piece of that and focus on
developing this developing this part.
So the money is already there People
are developing you just create
better rules Yeah to enable those
Uh, real development programs, right?
I think that's a great idea.
Yeah.
So, Rudy, is there anything else
you want to ask you or Alejo you
want to ask about anything else?
No, thanks for having us.
You know, I think it's great to see
you guys developing, getting bigger.
You know, this is very
great for the sport.
And as an executive now
talking about Motorola, right?
We love to see.
the development in the
sport in this country.
You know, we know Wayne has been
doing great things for the sport.
So I think we all love the sport.
We won't want it to grow.
Or grow even faster than
other places in the world.
And we know the opportunity
in this country.
We're on the same team, trying
to give exposure to the battle.
Yeah, absolutely.
In different ways, club owners, players.
So thank you for, yeah, for doing this.
Well, for coming on the show.
You and Rudy, I wish
you all the luck, okay?
Yeah, appreciate it.
Thank you very much.
Always a pleasure.
Thank you, Rudy.
Thank you.