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  • 25 October 2026
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‘The Grand Book of Women’s Padel,’ the first book dedicated to women in padel

Carolina Navarro, Ana Catarina Nogueira, and Alix Collombon are some of the 50 voices with which Kristin Kirsch reconstructs the history, competition, and lives of the women who have contributed to the growth of the discipline. The Portuguese edition goes on sale on October 8; the Spanish edition, on the 11th; and the English edition, on the 15th of the same month.
  • Catarina Castanheira
The Grand Book of Women's Padel

If Iciar Montes had been told at the beginning of her career that, barely 40 years later, padel would be on the verge of becoming an Olympic sport, that it would have more than 35 million players worldwide, and that almost half of them would be women, she probably would not have believed it. It is with the words of the former world number one and selector of Spain for a decade that The Grand Book of Women’s Padel begins, the most recent publication by journalist Kristin Kirsch, whose Portuguese edition goes on sale today, October 8, on Amazon.

Throughout its 312 pages, the founder of Padel for Ladies takes on the challenge of writing the first book entirely dedicated to women in padel. Divided into three main dimensions – historical, sports management, and biographical – the work gathers the testimony of nearly 50 voices from 14 countries.

From champions like Carolina Navarro, Ana Catarina Nogueira, and Alix Collombon to amateur players and their families, including world-renowned coaches as well as health professionals, the book portrays women’s padel from the perspective of those who play it, coach it, and study it. In other words, from those who have contributed to making it the sport it is today.

And it is precisely there that one of the singularities of the work resides. Far from presenting itself as a technical manual, the narrative is constructed ‘from within’: from the perspective of its protagonists and, at the same time, from the experience of an author who is also a player. A detail from which a sense of community emerges that Krisch seeks to awaken: ‘Every reader must be able to recognize herself somewhere.’

  • A missing book
Kristin Kirsch, author of 'The Grand Book of Women´s Padel'
Kristin Kirsch, author of 'The Grand Book of Women's Paddle' | Photograph provided by the author

It all began in the spring of 2023, when Kristin Kirsch – a French journalist and author of a dozen books – already settled in Faro (Portugal), had her first encounter with Padel. It was “a rediscovered teenage joy,” the author confesses. Her past as a tennis player did the rest: in a short time, she moved from leisure to competition. In 2024, she was the runner-up of Portugal alongside Inês Catarino and, a year later, she became the national veteran champion +55 and the national club runner-up with the Vilamoura Academy.

It was then that the idea began to take root. In September 2025, Kirsch noticed a gap that, until then, no one seemed to have addressed: ‘I realized that there was no book dedicated to women in padel. None, anywhere in the world.’ However, the final decision did not come until a month later, at the European Veterans Championship in Valencia. There, ‘I met great players; that was what ultimately convinced me. I wanted to write this book from within, as if I were one of them.’

  • Three axes narrated by 50 voices

The result is a work structured around three perspectives. The first is historical and addresses the female presence in the development of padel. The second focuses on the game, with reference to technique and tactics, the body, and the mind of the athletes. And finally, the third perspective deals with the sports careers of both champions and amateur players.

To build that mosaic, the journalist interviewed 50 people. “Diversity above all,” explains Kristin. “I started from my own environment. First, the club players I know, with whom I play or against whom I have played, in Portugal, France, and Thailand; then, the Padel for Ladies community, which has allowed me to reach women from many countries. Next, the coaches, the mental trainers, and a physiotherapist: professionals who accompany the players in their daily lives and who know what they experience.”

On the other hand, ‘with the champions and the legends, everything was achieved thanks to trust and encounters.’ Encounter after encounter, the book began to take shape, and now, through its pages pass names such as Carolina Navarro, the current coach of the Spanish women’s national team; Alix Collombon, the current number one in France; and Ana Catarina Nogueira, the first Portuguese player to win a World Padel Tour tournament. Also Sabine Appelmans, a former professional tennis player, ‘who defeated my idol, Steffi Graf!’ – the author comments jokingly. The prologue is written by Iciar Montes, and the epilogue is signed by Fernando Belasteguín.

During the collection process, another interesting detail stands out, which is that “all interviews were conducted in writing.” The choice had both a journalistic and a practical reason: “Firstly, to avoid distorting anything they said, each person expresses themselves in their own words; secondly, for the convenience of the language.” With this detail, the author fills her pages with the most authentic, sincere, and transparent statements.

  • Stories that inspire

Among the stories, as diverse as they are unique, that fill The Grand Book of Women’s Paddle, it proves particularly laborious to choose a favorite. From the testimony of Sylvia Queilhas, “who is just starting out and whose enthusiasm is contagious,” to the words of Fernando Belasteguín in the epilogue – “Infinite thanks to all the women in the world for being responsible for our lives” – Kristin admits that it is impossible for her to choose just one.

There is, however, one story that particularly stands out: that of Belén Castrillo. A serious illness. Daily treatments. The decision to continue competing. The challenge of becoming, without assistance, a pioneer in teaching padel abroad. And then, a new chapter: in September 2026, Castrillo was crowned world champion in the veterans category. “From illness at a very young age to the development of padel when nothing existed, to this new consecration: her life journey is exemplary. She is a role model.”

But the book does not stop on extraordinary stories: each testimony is a necessary piece to complete the portrait of women’s padel. In the words of its author, the work is aimed “at all women who play or who wish to start, regardless of their age or level.” Also at “coaches, clubs, parents of young players, and men who want to understand what their partners experience on the court.”

Because, beyond an individual reading, Kirsch conceives the copy as a meeting point: a book in which each reader can recognize herself and which, upon closing it, makes her leave “with more confidence, more inspired, and eager to return to the track.”

  • Book record

The Grand Book of Women’s Padel (From the First Balls to the Great Champions)
Author: Kristin Kirsch
Editorial: Padel for Ladies
Year: 2026
Prologue: Iciar Montes
Epilogue: Fernando Belasteguín
Price: 17,90 euros
Kindle: 7,90 euros

The Portuguese edition is published today, October 8, on Amazon. The French edition has been available since October 1; the Spanish edition will arrive on October 11, and the English edition on October 15.

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