Alejandra Salazar Bengoechea (Alejandra Salazar Bengoechea), commonly known as “Ale” in the women’s cricket world, is a professional athlete who was born on December 31, 1985 in Madrid. She has won Spanish and world titles several times, both in pairs and in teams, making her an iconic figure in the sport.
start
“Ale” started playing cricket at a very young age and joined Madrid’s Campo Club at the age of 8, showing that she has an innate talent for the game, but there is no doubt that she has developed over the years just developed. Of course, during her childhood she tried other sports such as basketball and tennis.
It wasn’t until the age of 15 that Alejandra devoted himself fully to the sport of padel, winning different minor league competitions (1999-2003). Even though at this stage in her life combining studies with training has been difficult for her, that’s just what sets the Spaniard apart from other players.
Now, in the 2004 season, the Madrid native entered the professional padel world with Eva Gayoso. For the next two years, she collaborated with Melissa Capra and then in 2007 with María Silvela. In 2010, she fought alongside Vale Pavon.
championship
The 1.68m Spanish player is considered one of the best players in the history of the sport. In particular she has been fighting for the top of the world padel rankings, finishing in the top three since the 2007 Tour de France.
Of course, as a cricketer she won many titles in her career:
- 2009: She won the 2009 Padel Pro Tour title with Carolina Navarro, ranking first.
- 2010: She won the world padel team championship and world runner-up at the National Pair World Championships.
- 2011: Represented his hometown, won the Spanish team championship with the Barcelona RC Polo and the autonomous region.
- 2012: Won the Spanish title in Córdoba.
- 2014: With Icíar Montes, she climbed to the top of the rankings again and won three World Padel Tour finals.
- 2019: Formed a successful couple with Ariana Sanchez and won important laurels, was named World Padel Tour Master and consolidated the status of the first couple.
The evolution of her playing style
Throughout her career, “Ale” has undergone several transformations in her playing style which has allowed her to remain among the top three cricketers in the world.
In recent years, she has become an expert at dominating the game. In fact, hitting-wise, she is said to have one of the most solid forehands in the game and is often evaded by her opponents. Here’s her evolution, listing some of her strengths and weaknesses:
- When she was paired with Ali Sanchez, she played a role in boosting the team in the most decisive moments of the game, and they showed more potential than her partner.
- When she started a new project with Gemma Triay, her role was even more difficult as she was tasked with defining and leading the short-range rallies. This forced her to move towards a more engineered and sacrificial style, getting more involved in the crossover game.
- If, say, she hit 10 balls before and had to try to pressure her opponent or define possession, now she collects 8 balls with the aim of making them regular and high quality.
- In 2021, we could see a lot of difficulty for Alejandra as she struggled to maintain her level of play as the competition progressed. She doesn’t seem to be able to achieve the regularity that padel demands, in fact, she doesn’t seem to enjoy the sport.
- Currently, her physical transformation (as time will not forgive) has allowed her to develop new tactics and strategies, implementing new ways of dominating padel, betting more on wear than knockout wins.
women’s cricket legends
There is no doubt that “Al” has achieved everything in the sport, even the most complicated thing, which is to maintain a high level. We can say that no matter what happens, whether or not she wins the title again, the Spaniard is a living legend of the sport.
Perhaps she will not experience her best sporting moments in her final years as a professional cricketer, but the past and present still belong to her, and in the future she will be celebrated for her extraordinary supremacy on the track Be remembered.
other hobbies
Alejandra has a degree in Business Administration from UCM and a Masters in Sports Entity Management from UEM. Plus, she’s a firm fan of tennis, basketball, and the seventh world of art.
On the other hand, she expresses her great admiration for Juan Martin Diaz and Willy Lahoz, who are important representatives of men’s paddle tennis.
We would love to host Ale Salazar at our Academy to learn from top cricketers!
