Van der Vaart: ”It’s really fun to see how much energy everyone gets out of it”

As a former Ajax player, the arch-rival of Rotterdam’s Feyenoord, Van der Vaart was not often seen in the port city, but this week it’s his home, if only temporarily. ”Haha, this is very unfamiliar territory. But also not entirely! I’ve been here before for the ABN Amro tennis tournament, which was also a sponsor of Ajax at the time”, says Van der Vaart, who is amazed by what he sees in Ahoy. ”It’s truly amazing here. I’ve been living in Rotterdam for a week now, and it’s been nothing but positive vibes.”

The former creative midfielder is now a tournament director, something he probably never imagined during his playing career. ”Haha, you see, there’s a director inside me… No, when we were asked for this role, I didn’t have to think long about it. Padel is such a huge passion of mine. This tournament is the biggest. But that also has a downside… Yesterday, I was comfortably sitting in my chair watching the big players, and you realize that what we’re doing on the court doesn’t compare to them at all. But despite that, we have so much fun.” And that is exactly the beauty of the sport. ”I first played padel 25 years ago in Spain. My mother is Spanish, so that’s how I got to know the sport.”

A sport for everyone

”At some point, you stop playing football, you gain weight, and I’m not a fan of running or aimlessly working out in the gym. So when this came my way, I took it. And despite a painful ankle, I can still play reasonably well. It’s great for all ages. A few months ago, my mother was complaining that she never saw me because of padel, but now we see each other all the time on the padel court. She’s even playing with her friends now. And that’s the beauty of the sport: no matter how good, bad, young, or old you are, padel is fun for everyone when playing at the same level. It’s really fun to see how much energy everyone gets out of it.”

However, Van der Vaart’s ball control seems to be perfectly fine in this sport as well. ”I often hear that I’m especially good at defence. We footballers know where the ball will go, how it bounces, and where you’ll hit it. You often recognize that, and I’ve carried that over from football.”