The match between his friend “Agus” Tapia and Arturito Coello against Lebrón–Stupa had just started when Paulo Dybala, together with his wife Oriana Sabatini, arrived at the Allianz Cloud to enjoy the first men’s semifinal of the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1. Smiling and relaxed, Dybala looked completely up to date and full of passion for the pala: “Yeah, I knew the score, I was watching the match on my phone while we were on our way here.” His walk through the players’ tunnel with Alessandro Fontana, Communication & Marketing Project Manager at NSA Group – the tournament organizer – turned into a chance encounter with world number three Paula Josemaría, who had just reached the final with Ari Sánchez. Paulo and Oriana stopped to chat, asked a few questions, exchanged smiles with Paulita, and wished her good luck for tomorrow’s final.
As Dybala stepped onto the Central Court from the players’ entrance, a wave of murmurs spread through the stands: “That’s Paulo!”, quickly turning into a roar. The AS Roma star greeted Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation, and Marco Gamberale, CEO of NSA Group, before sharing a warm hug with another former Juventus player, Claudio Marchisio, also at the Allianz Cloud.
Then came the match, and the memory of last year’s viral moment, when Tapia ran into the stands after winning the final, carrying two rackets, and handed one to Paulo and another to Leandro Paredes. In return, the Argentine pair gave him their national team and Roma shirts — a photo that went all over social media. A year later, we asked Paulo if he’s ever used that racket.
“Of course! I definitely did. I don’t get to play much, only during holidays, but yeah, I’ve played with it”. And how did it go? Any Tapia magic in his hands? The Roma forward laughs and plays along: “Let’s just say… not much changed even with his racket. So I guess there’s not much hope for me!”