Padel

July 21, 2026

Some athletes seem to have been touched by magic. Andrea Ustero Prieto (Castellbisbal, 2007) is today, at just 19 years old, one of the brightest stars in world padel. Left-handed, aggressive, and gifted with prodigious talent, Andrea has shattered every record for precociousness: from being the youngest player to reach a Major final to establishing herself in the world’s Top 10.

Although the padel world is currently at her feet, this young woman’s story began much earlier, between parking lot walls, with a racquet that was sometimes bigger than she was, and a family that has been her primary engine.

We spoke with some of the people who know the person behind the star best: her family, her best friend, her coach, and her agents. This is the portrait of Andrea Ustero.

The start of a phenomenon: from the parking lot wall to the elite

For her father, Antonio Ustero, Andrea’s talent wasn’t a surprise, but rather a constant confirmation. It all started with tennis, where at only 6 years old, she was already training with boys two years older. “Her coaches told us she was wasting her time at the club because she was already beating everyone,“ Antonio recalls. After moving to the Catalan Federation and jumping three levels in three months, Andrea spent three years competing without losing a single match.

But padel came knocking naturally. After school, she would spend hours hitting balls alone at home against the parking lot wall. Her brother, Marc Ustero, remembers it perfectly: “From the moment I saw her at 4 years old hitting the ball against my parking wall, I knew she would go very far.“ Ultimately, Andrea decided to switch from tennis to padel; a decision that, while it initially gave her father a bit of a hard time (jokingly, of course!), turned out to be the right path.

The person behind the padel racquet: humility and heart

If there’s one thing everyone around her highlights, it’s her simplicity. Her mother, Malores Prieto, describes her as a very active and social child who always preferred inviting her friends over rather than going out. “She never played with dolls; she preferred soccer, basketball, ping-pong, and, above all, anything involving a racquet,“ Malores says.

Off the court, Andrea is the same humble girl she’s always been. Her best friend, Brian del Fresno, says they are lucky to have her around: “She has an immense heart; she’s always looking out for her people and gives everything for us. She’s a bit of a mess, but I wouldn’t change her for anything!“ Even Marc jokingly confesses that her competitiveness knows no bounds: “In less than a week, she learned how to play ping-pong and was already beating me, and I’d been playing for years.“

The professional leap: ambition with feet on the ground

Andrea’s rise on the professional circuit has been dizzying but solid. Her agents, Gerard Arnaldos and Cristian Gallardo, highlight her “well-channeled ambition, her boldness and fearlessness on the court, and her great willingness to learn,“ qualities that make her stand out against much more experienced players.

Moments like reaching the Roland Garros final at just 17 years old alongside Delfi Brea have been milestones that filled her family with pride and showcased her mental strength on the court.

This strategic vision is perfectly complemented on the court by the work of her coach, Ángel González, who emphasizes her enormous versatility. She is capable of defending and attacking in equal measure, and he is clear about her greatest weapon: “Her potential is in the offensive zone, and her smash is one of the most outstanding on the circuit.“

But Ángel also offers an important piece of advice: “Short term, she must continue to forge and consolidate herself as an athlete. The secret to being the best padel player in the world remains daily work, with the added qualitative value of training better every day.“

Managing success: support from family and team

Despite the fame and media exposure, which Andrea manages with surprising naturalness on social media, her mother worries about the level of sacrifice. “I worry that she’ll get tired of so many hours of training, flights, eating in sports halls, and being away from home. She is very young and needs her family,“ Malores confesses.

For this reason, her management team works with a long-term strategy, prioritizing her overall well-being (physical preparation, psychology, nutrition, and rest) over immediate results. They want Andrea to keep being Andrea: authentic, a jokester, and approachable.

A bright future

Andrea Ustero, who currently recommends the HEAD Gravity Motion paddle, isn't just a player with a spectacular smash; she’s a girl who, according to Brian: “should have been a ping-pong player“ because she’s so good at it, but who chose padel for all of us to enjoy.

She’s the same girl who used to play board games with her brother and who today, with that same competitive look in her eyes, is capable of turning a match around in the third set when all seems lost.

As her father says, the greatest source of pride isn’t the trophies, but “seeing that curly-haired girl happy doing what she loves most.“ And by the looks of it, Andrea has plenty of happiness left to share, both on and off the court.