The Joy of Padel podcast with Alejandra Salazar
In this 21st episode of season 2, I sat with Alejandra Salazar, 38, a professional player with the incredible achievement of having been world number one in three different decades. She also led from the front in helping the Spanish team become, for the sixth time in a row, World Championships in Doha 2024. Currently world number 13, Alejandra shares her incredible journey in the world of padel, a sport she fell in love with at just eight years old. RedBull recently named Alejandra as one of the top 9 EVER padel players (along with another guest here on the show, Roby Gattiker). Over her professional career, she has witnessed first hand the massive changes in the game. She talks about the adaptability and passion that have kept her at the top. Alejandra emphasizes the importance of self-belief, even in tough moments, and highlights the role of communication and teamwork in her success. She also provides insights into her training regimen and the ever-evolving nature of the game. As a seasoned player, Alejandra reflects on the significance of choosing the right partner and mastering communication on the court. Tune in to hear her vision for the future of padel and her hopes for its Olympic inclusion.
To find out more about Alejandra Salazar:
- Find or follow on Instagram: AlejandraSalazar9
- Her listing on FIP
- Alejandra has her own eponymous site: AlejandraSalazar
- Find or follow Alejandra Salazar on LinkedIn and/or X/Twitter
To listen to the show:
To listen to The Joy of Padel podcast, you can use the embedded player above, or go find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or any number of other podcasting services listed here.
Send in your questions or reactions:
Please send me your questions — as an audio file if you’d like — to nminterdial@gmail.com. Otherwise, below, you’ll find the show notes and, of course, you are invited to comment. If you liked the podcast, please take a moment to review and/or rate it! ¡VAMOS!
Further resources for The Joy of Padel:
The Joy of Padel podcast is brought to you in association with Padel1969, who are proud to create one of the best padel product and service offerings in the world. Padel1969 believes in passion, joy, and integrity. We respect the DNA and roots of Padel – from Acapulco since 1969. To check all their full offer in padel courts, equipment and savoir faire, please go visit the Padel1969 site.
Meanwhile, you can find Minter's other Evergreen podcasts, entitled The Minter Dialogue Show (in English and French) in this podcast tab, on Megaphone or via Apple Podcasts.
About the host: Minter Dial
Minter Dial is an international professional speaker, author & consultant on Leadership, Branding and Transformation. His involvement in sports has been a lifetime passion. Besides playing 18 years of rugby, captaining athletics teams, coaching tennis and playing squash for his university, he’s been a lifelong player of padel tennis, starting at the age of 10, from the time of its very first public courts at the Marbella Club in 1974.
Then, after a successful international career at L’Oréal, Minter Dial returned to his entrepreneurial roots and has spent the last twelve years helping senior management teams and Boards to adapt to the new exigencies of the digitally enhanced marketplace. He has worked with world-class organisations to help activate their brand strategies, and figure out how best to integrate new technologies, digital tools, devices and platforms. Above all, Minter works to catalyse a change in mindset and dial up transformation. Minter received his BA in Trilingual Literature from Yale University (1987) and gained his MBA at INSEAD, Fontainebleau (1993). He’s author of four award-winning books, including Heartificial Empathy 2nd edition (2023), You Lead (Kogan Page 2021), co-author of Futureproof (Pearson 2017); and author of The Last Ring Home (Myndset Press 2016), a book and documentary film, both of which have won awards and critical acclaim.
It’s easy to inquire about booking Minter Dial here.
Full transcript of interview via Flowsend.ai
This transcription comes courtesy of Flowsend.ai, an AI service for podcasters.
Minter Dial: I am just delighted to have Alejandra Salazar with me. We are currently at the World championships in Doha 2024, and Alejandro is part of the Spanish team, which are on good control. Good, good path towards the final, although they just had a very exciting match. In any event. Alejandra, in your own words, how would you like to describe yourself?
Alejandra Salazar: Well, I’m always smiling. I always try to have fun every day. Well, I have. I’m very funny also and, you know, simple person, trying to enjoy every minute.
Minter Dial: To what extent has paddle been a part of that joy that you have, that fun person that you are?
Alejandra Salazar: Absolutely. Since I was eight years old, I. I practice Padel. I knew Padel and I get in love with Padel, so. And there’s 30 years of passion and. Well, if I knew when I was a child that I was going to leave all these experiences and all that fun moments also not good moments, but they give me strength and powerful.
Minter Dial: That’s beautiful. So you’ve been number one several times. The way I see it, I had 2009, 2016 and 2021 and 22. Good. Thank you for fact check. So to what would you ascribe? How did you put. What was the key to your success? To getting to be number one?
Alejandra Salazar: Maybe this means I’ve been adaptative player. No adapting player. Because I’ve been number one in three decades. Difference. Yeah. And that’s. Wow. I’ve been adapting to the players and the arms they have and the game.
Minter Dial: The way the games been changing.
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah, the game’s been changing and the weapons, everything. And I’m so proud that I’m still here. I’m still having fun, enjoying and having a good level to be in the team. And. Well, maybe it’s my last one, but I feel like it’s the first one. So for me, it’s a pleasure to be with the best.
Minter Dial: It certainly is. Well, they are a lovely team as well. So what’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Los Consejos.
Alejandra Salazar: Maybe, is never stop believing. This sport gives you the opportunity to come back in the bad situations, in the bad moments, you can lose 6, 0 and you can win the match later. It gives you a lot of recovery moments and you have to believe you have to keep on trying and rising up your level and everything is possible.
Minter Dial: Love that. Well, and you are looking great, by the way, and appreciate you being on even though you don’t feel so well. What about your training regime? I mean, you’re obviously not the youngest player in the team, but how do you approach training? What do you do to keep in such good shape?
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah, I’m very conscious of my weakness and I have to improve every year. I’ve been playing, As I said, 30 years now, but I always have everything, more things to learn and keep improving. So that’s the key of having this good shape and being super focused on the things that they have to stay.
Minter Dial: The game’s constantly changing. What’s your favorite shot?
Alejandra Salazar: Bandeja. Yeah. And also drive volley.
Minter Dial: The drive volley?
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah. And.
Minter Dial: Taking you back off the back wall. Yeah, yeah, of course. Drive back wall naturally and you do those oh so well. What about as you were just saying, you know, your weakness. What, what are you trying to improve? What are you actually working on today?
Alejandra Salazar: Maybe my, my legs are not so speedy than years before and. And I have to be more focus on where I, where I am staying in the court, being more intelligent. Sometimes I have to play more clever to don’t get in.
Minter Dial: In the wrong place.
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah. In the wrong place. And making quick maybe movements or shots. That is not, they are not in my convenience. So I have to be more clever and.
Minter Dial: Well, I’m 60 and so I play on the right a lot. Of course, one of the best advice I’ve received was move a little bit more to the right towards the wall, stay closer so you can protect against the ones that hit into the wire, into the corner and leave the open in the middle because both of you can get that. That seemed to me the best advice I’d ever received about playing on the right. What about choosing the best partner? How do you find the best partner to play with?
Alejandra Salazar: Well, all over the years I have different partners with different conditions, but I try to complement my weakness with my partner and have a super team. Another thing that is the key of the success all over the years, having the right partner in the right moment.
Minter Dial: And also is that maybe even more true when you play on the right that you really need to be the person. I mean assuming you’re right-handed, that you’re serving up balls that the left can kill.
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah, I try to work a lot for, for my partner. I am also a right player, aggressive right player.
Minter Dial: That’s your drive.
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah, that’s one of the, one of another success points that I have that is not only passing balls and passing balls I always work but also I make points aggressive and. Well, I think that is a good combination.
Minter Dial: That seems to be one of the biggest things that’s changed in Padel is that on the right you can actually be Aggressive in terms of the changes that you had. What about a new partner right here. You’re playing in the world Championships, you’re not playing with your normal partner, I assume. Anyway, when people are out there and they have a new partner, oh, I’m playing with you. How do you approach that? What advice do you give to the person who’s just got a new partner? You’ve got 10 minutes before the game. How do you get it to happen?
Alejandra Salazar: 10 minutes also?
Minter Dial: Well, I mean, you know, it happens just in a tournament, maybe in the warmup. You’re saying, I’m playing with you. Okay, all right, then how do you find the right approach? I mean, for example, do you say, listen, this is what my weakness is, or this is how I like to communicate. This is who I am.
Alejandra Salazar: Super difficult in 10 minutes to get with the other person. But maybe you have to try to put in common your way of communication and your favorite shots also. But the game gets to these shots.
Minter Dial: You learn through the process as well. Anyway, what about talk a lot. Talk a lot. This is it. This is my last question for you.
Alejandra Salazar: We get tired talking.
Minter Dial: Yes, indeed. It’s amazing.
Alejandra Salazar: Not only running.
Minter Dial: Yeah, of course.
Alejandra Salazar: A lot of talking and communicating. Always speaking. Where is the rival where you can shot? Where should you have to practice a lot in the trainings? Also the communication.
Minter Dial: Right. And have you ever had a partner who just doesn’t talk? And what do you do?
Alejandra Salazar: Wow. It’s difficult when you have shy personality.
Minter Dial: Well, especially if they’re playing with you, they’re a little bit in awe. Like, ah, how can I tell anything to Alejandra?
Alejandra Salazar: This year is very common. I have a few partners, young partners. And even if I try to get them in confidence, I’m being smiley and nothing happens. Everything is okay.
Minter Dial: Even if they make a mistake.
Alejandra Salazar: Yeah, yeah. But they have the pressure. Wow. I’m playing with Alejandra. That’s responsibility. And they feel very shy. And I.
Minter Dial: Even though you have a beautiful smile.
Alejandra Salazar: I try to open all of them and well, talk to me. I also make mistakes. I’m wrong sometimes.
Minter Dial: Is that possible? Yeah, right.
Alejandra Salazar: It’s naturality. No, you know, you have to get down yourself. I’m not God. Yeah. And I’m like you. And I make mistakes. And I need you. I need you. Talk to me. I need you. Tell me something. Giving me ideas also.
Minter Dial: Beautiful. One word for the future of paddle.
Alejandra Salazar: One word for the future. Padel. Olympic.
Minter Dial: Fantastic. Alejandro Muchas Gracias.
Alejandra Salazar: Thank you very much.
