Her first match in Tirana has just ended, but the emotion of making her debut at the FIP Platinum Albania is still clear in the eyes of Ale Salazar, the most successful player in the history of women’s padel with 58 titles. It is a different kind of emotion from those experienced throughout her extraordinary career, because only rarely has Salazar had the chance to play surrounded by history and monuments like those overlooking Skënderbeg Square. After appearing for weeks on billboards across the city promoting the tournament organised through the collaboration between the FIP and the Albanian Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Culture, the public was finally able to welcome her with a standing ovation. The victory over Camilla Fassio and Anastasiia Ryzhova, secured in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) alongside fellow Spaniard Ale Alonso, born in 2006, provided the perfect stage to showcase the talent that has dominated world padel for years.
“It was wonderful to play in Skënderbeg Square”, said Salazar. “The city has organised the tournament perfectly. I arrived yesterday evening and I have not yet had the opportunity to explore much of Tirana, but I am looking forward to discovering the city during my free time. There is a unique beauty here: beyond the padel courts, there are magnificent mosaics and stunning monuments”.
Throughout her career, the Spaniard has written some of the most iconic chapters in the history of the sport: “Padel is experiencing a period of global expansion and the success it is achieving is impressive. If someone had told me ten years ago that I would play in a venue like this, I would not have believed it. I am proud to be part of the growth of this sport”. On her ambitions for the tournament, the former world number one added: “I hope to win as many matches as possible and, why not, also Saturday’s final”.