Ariana Sánchez Fallada, better known as Ari Sanchez “La Magic” (The Magician), born July 9, 1997 in Reus, Spain, is a professional cricketer athlete. Her skill, determination and enthusiasm on the court have made her one of the most successful young players in the sport, consistently topping the World Padel Tour (WPT) rankings in recent years.
The beginning of padel
Ali started padel at the young age of 9, following in the footsteps of her father, who, by her own account, was very good at the sport and competed with her brother in the community area. She lives with her family (in fact, they always lose out to her father).
In fact, from an early age, Ariana has always been interested in sports, joining the soccer and basketball teams at school. However, her parents noticed her excellent cricket skills and decided to enroll her in a cricket academy in Reus.
A year later, she was already competing at the regional level in the Junior Tour of Catalonia, one of the best amateur circuits in the world, where she began to improve her game until she was crowned a Spanish and World Junior Human Champion Event.
Some time later, in 2016, Sanchez began a new phase of her life, combining competition and university studies. In addition to becoming a professional cricketer, she trained in sports science at the University of Camilo Jose Serra and in physiotherapy at the University of Barcelona.
career
“La Magic” started her career as a cricketer in the WPT in 2016, partnering Tamara Icardo, who did not become her partner until mid-season. That same year, she shared the court with Paula Eyheraguibel, notably at the Confederation Catalan Championships.
It wasn’t long before Ali hit the world rankings, but not before competing with her dear friend and partner, Marta Ortega. In fact, they were paired up for the WPT lead in 2017.
However, the young Russian will start the 2019 season with new partner Alejandra Salazar. In this way, they formed the sports duo named “AS”, which made fans of this sport full of expectations. Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint, and after two seasons together, Ali and Alle have won eight titles, including the 2019 Masters title.
It was not until December 2020 that the “AS” duo officially disbanded, leaving an indelible mark on the World Padel Tour, and some even miss the combination. A few days after the news broke, it became known that Alli would have a new sports partner for the 2021 season: Paula Josemaría.
Achievement
There is no doubt that the young Catalan had a stellar career as a professional cricketer. Let’s take a look at her achievements since 2016:
- In her first year, she integrated the main women’s padel lineup into the World Padel Tour circuit, and then in 2017, she won her first title: the Santander Open.
- In 2019 she won 5 WPT titles: Alicante Open, Jaén Open, Valladolid Masters, Mijas Open and Masters Final, which put her at the top of the rankings.
- Subsequently, in the 2020 season, Ali added 3 more championship titles on the professional circuit: Valencia Open, Menorca Open and Estrela Dame Open. She even became the champion of Spain, taking the No. 1 position in the women’s ranking.
- In 2021, as partner of #teamHEAD player Paula Josemaría, she won five major titles: Madrid Open, Marbella Masters, Las Rozas Open, Cascais Masters, Malmö Open .
- After winning the “Master Final”, she also became a master.
main skill
Ali, who is only 21 years old, is already considered the player with the best wrist touch in the professional arena, and his superb hitting moves amazed everyone.
So her nickname “Magic” wasn’t a whim. Her dedication and skill on the court has helped her become a world class player on the World Padel Tour. Ali is also one of the toughest players to beat in the 20×10 program.
curiosity
According to Ariana Sanchez herself, she chose to study exercise science and physiotherapy in order to maintain a connection to the sport after she ceased to be a professional athlete.
