Eloise Tait swapped international hockey for padel just nine months ago – and is “addicted to the feeling of learning new skills” as she rapidly ascends the LTA rankings.
Eloise has played hockey since the age of six, representing England at Under-18 and Under-21 level and winning a European Championship bronze medal.
She played for the prestigious Loughborough University team and later played for Pisa in Italy before being headhunted by an elite-level club in Melbourne, where she spent two seasons.
When her visa expired and she returned to her native England in 2019, Eloise played club hockey and pondered her next career move. She “fell into” tech recruitment and after doing a crash course in coding is now a software engineer.
In January 2022, Eloise sustained a knee injury. Missing hockey and looking for an alternative physical pursuit that wouldn’t put too much stress on the knee, she happened to visit her parents in Denia, Alicante, last summer. They took her to their local padel club, Padel Soul, for a hit.
“I hadn’t even heard of the sport before, but I just got hooked immediately,” the 27-year-old tells The Padel Paper.
“After so long playing one sport, I have become really addicted to the feeling of using new skills – starting from the beginning again and seeing how far I can get with it.
“Having played for England at hockey, it’s so exciting and just a really cool challenge to see if I can get to a similar level in a different sport.”
Eloise now shares her time between home in London and living in Spain while working remotely. She has quickly built up a big group of friends at Padel Soul in Denia with whom she plays every day, as well as having coaching and competing in local tournaments.
When in London, she trains with Alvaro Fernandez, head coach at the National Tennis Centre, and plays at Rocks Lane in Chiswick. She recently partnered Sarah Horrocks in the LTA Grade Two event at the NTC.
“Even though I fell in love with it quite quickly, I didn’t necessarily think I’d be able to compete at this kind of level yet,” she states. “It’s come naturally just by doing something I love.
“When I first started, I had good fitness, foot movement, cardio and speed over a short distance, but my tennis skills were nil. It took me months even to develop a basic smash. My body couldn’t work out the upwards motion.
“However, I like the challenge of competing against people with a background of tennis skills in their locker. Sharing a court with people better than me is the biggest part of my learning.”
Whilst playing a tournament in Sweden, Eloise was spotted by Dropshot UK director Toby Bawden, who snapped her up on a sponsorship deal. Her padel career has got quite serious, quite quickly – but, typically, that doesn’t phase her.
“At hockey competitions, I’m used to having a whole army around me [coaches and team-mates] all going through the same thing. In padel, I feel there’s a lot more pressure – in a good way – when it’s just you and your partner. I’ve had to get used to settling the nerves myself and adopting a different mindset.
“The sport is so new that there is definitely an opportunity there for me. There are some incredible athletes on the LTA circuit, but if you’re willing to put time and effort into it, you can have pretty good success.”
Eloise’s story is the latest in our series, Padel and Me, telling human stories with padel at their heart. Also in the series:
Alyson Wort: Padel was my lifeline during my sister’s battle with cancer
Abigail Tordoff: It’s been a really positive journey
Victor Aguirre: I came to the UK with zero… padel helped me survive and thrive
Has padel played an important role in your life? Let us know by emailing: info@thepadelpaper.com
