As a teenager, Bart van Opstal (28) had the dream of becoming a tennis professional. At the age of nineteen, a knee injury threw a spanner in the works. He didn’t touch a racket for five years, until he played a game of padel for fun in 2019. It was the start of a new top sports career, because the Tilburger has risen to the top of the Netherlands.
Bart was hit hard by the fact that his tennis dream was over in one fell swoop. “I started playing tennis when I was ten years old. I have never been one of the best players in my age category, but that changed when I was sixteen. Ultimately, I had to stop top-level sports due to the injury, which was tough.”
He couldn’t make money playing tennis, so he opted for a working life after his studies. He had various jobs, but his life changed when he played padel with a friend. “I liked it and my knee was doing OK. When we were on the track again three weeks later, it was the beginning of falling in love. Padel is better than tennis, your whole plan has to be right.”
Bart started in a competition team at a low level. He soon started working for a team in the highest Dutch division. “I had never trained before, but I really enjoyed the game and kept getting better. Fortunately, my old knee injury was no longer a problem.”
“I want to become the best in the Netherlands.”
In 2021, Bart ranked around 150th in the Netherlands, but is now number three. “Two years ago I quit my job because I wanted to focus entirely on padel. I have gathered a whole team around me. From a trainer, dietician, mental coach to someone who helps me with sponsorship. Everything is designed to achieve the best possible performance. I want to become the best in the Netherlands and get into the top 100 in the world.”
“I have the ambition to go abroad more often.”
The Netherlands is not a major padel country worldwide, although the sport is growing enormously. “Spain is the largest padel country, I recently had a training weekend there. Early next year I will go there for two months to train full time. I have the ambition to go abroad more often.”
A sporting highlight was his participation in the World Cup in Dubai with the Dutch team. The World Padel Tour Decathlon Amsterdam Open was added last week. “It was not surprising that I lost with my doubles partner Uriel Maarsen, because there is still a gap with the top of the world. However, we were certainly not outplayed and it was confirmation for me that I want to grow to that level. By playing more big matches like this, I can make progress.”
Bart is a full-time top athlete, but has learned a lesson after his previous tennis dream. “I used to leave everything for tennis. I now know that I have to enjoy it too. I have put the alcohol aside, but I do meet up with friends if I don’t have a match the next day. Only one small thing needs to happen and your career could be over.”