From South African Tennis No. 1 to Padel Powerhouse
Before she was making waves on the padel court, Debbie Van Aswegen was already a force to be reckoned with on the tennis scene. Starting at just six years old, she rose to become South African No. 1, before discovering a new racquet sport that would reignite her competitive fire.
Her first game of padel? “Total chaos.” She thought it was simply tennis with walls. One day later, she was back for more.
Now a South African padel champion and part of the country’s No. 1 padel pairing, Debbie has successfully defended her SA Grand Open title twice and is preparing to take her game onto the international stage in 2026.
In this candid interview, she talks about the transition from tennis to padel, competing as a woman, balancing work and sport, her ambitions for international competition and why getting more young girls onto the court is key to the future of the game.
And yes, we also find out about her pre-match secret weapon: Bioplus and a healthy dose of self-belief. 😉