GB no.1 Aimee Gibson has promised, “I’ll come back stronger” after a severe calf tear left her on crutches and rudely interrupted her surge up the world padel rankings.
Early in her quarter-final at FIP Bronze Bahrain last month, the 34-year-old fell awkwardly and suffered a badly torn gastrocnemius muscle. Her Spanish playing partner Alba Perez Momha helped carry her off court and she was taken straight to a local hospital in considerable agony.
Since flying home, she has been laid up back at her parents’ house in Essex (“I’m driving them insane!” she laughs). She’s used the time to see friends, do a few jigsaws and watch a lot of padel online, making notes on the opponents she’ll face when her protective boot comes off and she returns to the tour.
The timing could barely have been worse. Just before Christmas, Aimee won three successive FIP titles alongside new partner Alba and they added another together in early February’s FIP Bronze in Doha, boosting Aimee’s world ranking to 89. But then came the injury, abruptly scuppering the pair’s winning momentum.
Typically, Aimee is now applying her relentless work ethic to her rehabilitation and recovery process and is targeting a comeback to the FIP tour in time for Britain’s first ever Premier Padel event in London in August.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the injury, she told The Padel Paper: “The first three weeks were horrendous because I was seeing no improvement, but now I’m starting to see progress. I’m going to London for rehab three days a week and am able to do weights and squats.”
“It’s difficult for me right now, but it’s made me a lot more grateful for what I’m doing. When I step back on the court, I’m going to fully focus on enjoying every moment that I can because sometimes you can take it for granted.
“When I get back on tour, I’m going to smile more and not be negative about all the travelling, because now I can’t do that stuff, it’s heartbreaking.”
Aimee admits that her relentless hunger for success may have caused her to pack her competitive calendar too heavily last year, and could even have contributed to her sustaining the injury.
The end of last year saw her win those three back-to-back FIP titles in Hong Kong, Crete and Bahrain, before winning the inaugural National Championships just before Christmas, flying straight out to Australia then on to Qatar.
“I didn’t give myself any time off over Christmas and flew out to Australia on Boxing Day. It may have been too much,” she admits. “I guess you learn from these things and I’ve definitely learned a lot from this injury.”
She has another week before her protective boot comes off, then three more weeks of rehab before she takes her first tentative steps back on court and then undergoes a few physical tests and starts some running.
Aimee hopes to return to competition in some domestic and FIP events around May before August’s much-anticipated inaugural Premier Padel P1 in London, where it’s likely she will receive a wildcard.
Alba, the world no.70, has had to find a new playing partner while Aimee is in rehab, but the Brit is hopeful they can rekindle their partnership once she’s recovered full fitness.
“Alba was there for me [after the injury], she took me to the hospital and supported me a lot,” reveals Aimee. “We’re keeping in communication. I will start back in a few British tournaments with someone else and I’m sure we’ll link back up later.”
Whilst the current hiatus is maddeningly frustrating for such an active, ambitious and driven character, the prospect of an early-summer comeback is already getting the competitive juices flowing. “With my mentality, I know I’ll come back stronger,” she smiles.
