Jonas Ekberg played his first game of padel in an office league in Malmö at the age of thirty-four. He had never played tennis or squash, and describes himself as "a reasonably fit cyclist with no hand-eye coordination at all". Six years later he is ranked inside the national top two hundred in Sweden and spends two weeks every winter training in Spain. We spoke to him at his home club, a converted warehouse near the harbour.

How it started

What made you keep playing after that first office game?

Honestly, I was terrible, and that annoyed me. I am an engineer. I like systems, and padel is very systematic once you understand it. After a few weeks I realised that the players who beat me were not stronger or faster. They were just in the right place. That felt like a problem I could solve.

What did you change first?

Positioning. I watched hours of video and drew diagrams of where players stood. Then I found a coach who could explain why. Most of my improvement in the first two years came from understanding where to be, not from hitting the ball better.

Structure and practice

How did you train while working full time?

Three sessions a week, never more. One coached session, one match against better players and one practice session with a regular partner where we drilled one thing. I kept a notebook. Every month I chose one shot to work on, and I did not move to the next until the first one was reliable.

What was the hardest shot to learn?

The víbora. It took me nearly a year. I still miss more than I would like. But the bandeja was the most important one. Once I had a reliable bandeja, my results improved immediately, because I could stay at the net against good players.

Travelling to train

Why do you go to Spain every winter?

Two reasons. First, the light. Malmö in January is dark at four o'clock, and we play indoors all winter. Playing outdoors in the sun is a different game: the wind, the light, the ball. It makes you adaptable. Second, the level. In Spain I can play against very good club players every day. They are patient and they lob beautifully, which is exactly what I need to practise.

What does a typical training trip look like?

Ten days. Two coached sessions a day for the first week, then matches. I always book a physio session halfway through, because at my age the body needs some help. And I take one full day off, which I resisted for years and now understand is essential.

Advice for late starters

What would you say to someone starting padel in their thirties or forties?

Start with a coach, not with friends. Friends teach you bad habits. Learn the walls early, because that is where the game is. And be patient with your body. I had a calf strain in my second year because I played five times a week. Now I play less and improve more.

Do you have a goal?

Top one hundred in Sweden before I am forty-five. And to beat my old office league team, who still play every Thursday. They do not take me seriously yet, which is very useful.

Jonas Ekberg: from office league to national ranking at forty