FIP European Padel Championships, Maria Rasmussen: a policewoman in Cagliari to dream with Denmark

She wears a uniform on the courts of the FIP European Padel Championships, and she also wears it at home while living the busy life of a woman and mother. Maria Rasmussen has just reached the quarterfinals with Denmark (tomorrow they face Italy), and as she celebrates with her family, who have all come to Cagliari – her partner, three children, and mother are all in Sardinia to cheer for her – she talks about how she manages a life full of various commitments. Starting with her work in the police force of her country: “Between that, family, and work, I don’t have much time to relax”, says ‘Marisse’, who will turn 46 in August, “But my job helps me a lot; it requires being focused all the time and staying calm and controlling emotions if something happens. This aspect helps me a lot on the court”. Besides the ability to manage emotions, family support is another fundamental point: “I couldn’t do anything without them. Today they are all here for me, and it’s wonderful”.

Her story with padel began more than 10 years ago when she was in Lanzarote and had temporarily left her police work for a job as a sports manager at a local club. For her, at that time a fairly high-level tennis player, the impact was not immediately decisive: “Playing for the first time on a padel court was strange, and I thought it wasn’t for me”. A feeling that completely changed when Maria returned to the court after meeting her partner in Lanzarote and building a family with him: “I discovered the geometry of the court, how to play well, and I told myself that I wanted to continue. This is also why Lanzarote remains a unique place for me”.

The FIP European Padel Championships are not Maria’s first tournament with the national team: “I also played in the 2021 World Padel Championships in Qatar. I had just started playing seriously, but I immediately told myself that my goal was the World Championships”. As a left-handed player, Rasmussen says she takes inspiration from all the top left-handed players: “I watch how they move, how they use spin on the ball. Because obviously, it’s a different game when you’re left-handed”. Regarding padel in Denmark, Maria confirms that “as in all of Europe, courts are popping up everywhere. You might find two or three new ones in places where there was nothing the week before, and this trend will continue in the coming years”. Finally, her predictions for the women’s podium at the FIP European Padel Championships: “Spain, then Portugal and Italy. But on Thursday, we will meet the ‘azzurre’, and if we win, I say Denmark“, she concludes with a smile.