This week’s star pick is Sofía Araújo, Portugal’s pride. This week’s Padel Player is one that has been under everyone’s radar since her introduction to the WPT circuit, a ferocious player who knows what she wants.
If you are curious about this Portuguese player and want to know more about Sofía as a Padel Player, then please read along with us.
Who is Sofía Araujo?
Sofía Araújo is a professional padel player and former tennis player of Portuguese origin.
Sofia is known for her aggressive playing style and her forehand shots. As well as her powerful backhand.
As of November 2023, she is ranked 10th by the WPT. During her career in Padel, she has gained a total of 6420 points. An extraordinary feat when looking at the total number of matches she played: 262 of which she won 147 and lost 115. This adds up her win percentage to 56.11%. Notably, she has six consecutive victories as proof of her excellence.
Chief among her accomplishments as an ex-tennis player who has not been playing Padel for as long as the rest of her colleagues, she was runner-up in the 2017 European Padel Championship for teams. Moreover, she reached third place at the 2018 Padel World Championship for teams. Additionally, Sofia won the Masters FPP of 2017 in the women’s category.
Sofía Araújo was considered the “revelation player” of the 2020 WPT tournaments thanks, in particular, to her first participation in the Master Final. The Portuguese player is the first Portuguese athlete to be awarded the prize by the World Padel Tour.
Beside professional sports, she was a Graduate of Physiotherapy in 2017.
Sofía Araújo’s Padel Chart
Table 1
| Name | Sofía Araújo |
| Birthdate | November 30th 1994 |
| Birthplace | Portugal, Lisbon |
| Height | 5’6” (172 cm) |
| Sport | Tennis Padel |
| Playing Position | Backhand (reverse) |
| Active Years | 2013- present |
| Partners | Joana Valle Costa (2013) Kátia Rodrigues (2017) Anna Cortiles (2018) Virgínia Riera (2018-2020) Ana Catarina Nogueira and Eli Amatriain (2021) Lorena Rufo, Marta Talaván, and Beatriz Caldera Sánchez (2022) Delfi Brea and Marta Ortega (2023) Alejandra Salazar Bengoechea (2023- current) |
Sofia uses her quickness and athleticism to her advantage. Her game is based on speed, power, and precision. She has an aggressive style and is known for her ability to finish points quickly.
Sofía Araújo’s Debut in Padel
Sofía first started playing tennis when she was only eight years old. Then, she quickly became a high-level player, competing in the Women’s Tennis Association. Since then, she has participated in multiple tournaments, including the ITF Women’s Circuit.
After competing in her native country for six years, she competed from 2006 to 2013 (Ex-TOP 900 WTA) Sofía was tired of the pressure that tennis generated in her life, so her uncle tried to convince her to get to know the world of padel tennis that was beginning to gain traction in Portugal.
When she started playing Padel it was just for fun, and she didn’t want to compete. However, eventually, she came to the conclusion that sport is competition. Soon after, Sofía decided to return to it and approach it in more of a more professional way than before. She ended up enjoying Padel immensely, as it turns out its social aspect was compatible with her lifestyle. She says that playing in pairs makes things easier.
Why did Sofía Araujo Stop Playing Tennis
Her contact with Padel began around 2013 when she played a tournament for the first time with her mother. She was still actively playing tennis at the time. After giving up tennis, she began playing in tournaments with her friends for fun.
In 2016, she was presented with an opportunity to pursue Padel with a greater level of commitment, and quickly, the “bug” of the competition returned. She set in motion and invested more of her time, dedicating herself to the sport. She started playing on the international circuit in 2017.
Sofía Araújo’s Achievements
As a professional Tennis player, she played from 2006 until 2013 and was among the TOP 900 in the WTA. She was the Portuguese National number one in the Sub14, Sub16, Sub18, and Seniors categories. She was also the National Runner-up (Portugal) of Sub14 and Sub18 at a different time. Furthermore, she was the Women’s National Champion and the Mixed Doubles Champion.
She was notably very active as a tennis player and was present at the Youth Olympic Festival, and the Estoril Open in 2010, 2011, and 2013, as well as in several European championships.
As a Padel player, Sofía Araújo managed to show up as an athlete and show everyone her abilities on the Padel courts, displaying her innate athleticism in harmony with her love for competition. After all, sport is competition.
During her first year as a serious, professional Padel Player, she qualified as a semi-finalist in the 2017 European Doubles. And then, she was able to reach the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup in doubles matches.
She was a notable participant in the 2016 Sport Evolution Merit Award FPP event. And was the Example of Award Merit at the 2017 FPP.
She was the winner of the KIA Masters Circuit in 2016 and 2017.
She was the Portuguese national runner-up in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
The first title tournament of her career was the Tau Cerámica Alicante Open 500 of 2023 won alongside Marta Ortega.
According to Sofía Araújo, it is effortless to start playing Padel. Anyone playing for the first time can hit the ball, for example, which doesn’t happen in tennis or golf.
If you are a fan of Padel and want to try your hand at it, Sofía says that playing in pairs makes Padel a very social sport, which will help you introduce yourself smoothly into the Padel community.
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Only if you are ready and feel motivated to hit the Padel courts, then please head to our online store for a variety of Padel rackets, balls, and athletic wear.
Our Padel gear is especially made for beginners and professionals alike.
