“The only thing that matters is Mate”. True, but in the life of Ramiro Jesus Valenzuela, known to everyone as Rama, padel also matters a great deal. It’s the sport that led him to take a one-way flight from Argentina to Spain, an inexhaustible mine of talent and where the 20-year-old Albiceleste is becoming a man and a player. His connection with Milano began last year: he and Pol Hernandez gave Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan a run for their money, losing in two very long sets but leaving to a standing ovation, and Italy took notice of them: “I remember everything perfectly – admits Rama –. It was a special match for me”. So special that he wanted to earn another one: by beating legends Sanyo Gutierrez and Tolito Aguirre in the second round, Valenzuela – paired this year with Fede Mouriño – Rama has once again qualified for the round of 16 of the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1, where tomorrow he will face Momo Gonzalez and Fran Guerrero, just as he did last week in Rotterdam.
“I’m really happy to be back in the round of 16 – he continues –. We started from the qualifiers and thanks to our fighting spirit, battling point by point, I’ll be able to enjoy an experience like last year’s”. Currently ranked 64th in the FIP ranking, Valenzuela learns from the best: his coach is Martin Canali, the same as Agustin Tapia, who was on the bench with the world’s best in Rotterdam on Sunday evening and with Rama in Milano on Monday. “He has the right mentality and strategy, he makes a great contribution to all of us – said –. On Sunday, he was in the final with “Agus”, on Monday he took the first flight at 8 a.m., was in Milan at 10 a.m. and came straight to the court for our match: he made a great effort to be with us and bring out our best”. As part of the same team, Valenzuela and Tapia also share the same training ground: “And for a young man like me, that’s very special”.
Yesterday, after the victory against Sanyo and Tolito, Rama had time to enjoy Milan “and have a coffee at the Duomo”. From today, it’s back to the tournament. “Every little detail makes a difference – explains the Argentine, who also has a psychologist on his team –. I believe that mental work is everything in sport. There are still things I need to improve in my game, and I’m working on them, but it’s important to always have your head in the game. Even a single gesture, if noticed by your opponent, can cause you to lose your advantage”. These are the words of an adult who moved to Europe at the age of 17, thanks to his sponsor who offered him a home and the opportunity to train at one of the many padel academies: “I was already playing professional tournaments in Argentina at the age of 14-15, but I travelled alone because my family couldn’t afford to accompany me. So I’m used to this kind of life: obviously I miss my family, also because there is only one stop on the Premier Padel circuit near my home. But the season is almost over: three or four more tournaments and then I can go back to Argentina for a few weeks”.
It all started when he picked up his first pala at the age of 9: “I trained with Tolito at his club after my father took me everywhere: bowling, football, until he started playing padel. I started playing, improving, winning tournaments, and from there I realised that this was going to be my path”. A path to follow with Mate always in hand: “For us Argentinians, that’s all we need to be happy”.