Slava, a former tennis coach who recently returned to Ukraine from Dubai, shares his journey of becoming the coach of Ukraine's women's national padel team and his insights on how the sport is growing despite wartime challenges.
• Padel is rapidly growing in Ukraine with 6-7 clubs currently open and more planned, despite the ongoing war
• In Odesa, just two courts serve the entire city and remain booked solid for two weeks in advance
• Around 70-80% of new padel players in Ukraine have no previous tennis experience
• Slava prefers coaching padel over tennis due to its vibrant atmosphere and less physically demanding nature
• The Ukrainian Padel Federation organizes weekly tournaments and has appointed Slava as head coach of the women's national team
• Land costs (approximately $500,000) present a major challenge for opening new padel clubs in Ukraine
• Ukraine will compete in the European Championship qualifications in Madrid this July
• Many Ukrainian football stars including Andrei Shevchenko are embracing padel
• Slava sees padel as "a very intelligent game" requiring strategic thinking and tactical awareness
