Pablo Lima, the journey of the “Canyon of Porto Alegre”

When talking about top-level padel, it is impossible not to mention Pablo Lima. Originally from Brazil, Lima quickly established himself as one of the most iconic figures of this booming sport. With his dynamic play, flawless technique and strategic court awareness, he has earned the respect and admiration of padel aficionados and professionals across the globe. 

With his former partner Juani Mieres, they managed to challenge the greatest pairing in the history of world padel, formed by Fernando Belasteguín and Juan Martín Díaz. After that duo split in 2015, Pablo Lima began playing alongside Fernando Belasteguín, establishing themselves as the absolute kings of the circuit until losing the world number 1 spot in 2018.

Pablo Lima's beginnings

Pablo José Mongelo Lima was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on 11 October 1986. Better known as Pablo Lima, he is a professional padel player considered the best in his country. He is sometimes nicknamed El Canyon de Porto Alegre.

Pablo discovered padel at the age of 9 with his father at the Hormiga club in Porto Alegre. Quickly spotted, he joined Brazil's national junior team multiple times. His impressive track record led him to the Spanish padel circuit in 2004. There, Roby Gattiker, one of the very first world number 1s in history, won over by his talent and commitment, chose him as his partner for the 2006 and 2007 competitions.

2008, the breakthrough year

In 2008, Pablo quickly stood out by teaming up with his compatriot Marcello Jardim. Together, they reached 14 quarter-finals and 4 semi-finals, despite an ankle injury. 

From 2009 onwards, he then partnered with Juani Mieres. The duo, nicknamed the "Princes" by their fans, won several titles in cities like Madrid and Seville. Together, Pablo and Juani climbed to the rank of second-best pairing, regularly challenging the circuit leaders, the Argentinians Fernando Belasteguín and Juan Martín Díaz.

What followed

From 2015 onwards, Pablo Lima teamed up with Fernando Belasteguín. Despite a difficult start due to an injury to Lima, they quickly became the circuit leaders. In 2016, they dominated the world padel rankings. In 2017, they experienced ups and downs, particularly due to an injury to Bela. They often faced the pairing of Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutiérrez, with mixed results.

In 2018, the start was tough for Lima and Bela, with Belasteguín losing his world number 1 status that he had held for 16 years. Agustín Gómez Silingo temporarily replaced Bela as Lima's partner. Later that year, Lima played with Paquito Navarro, securing a title along the way.

In 2019, although Lima started the season with Belasteguín, they parted ways midway through, with Lima teaming up with Alejandro Galán and winning four titles together. In 2020, Lima partnered with Paquito Navarro, winning the Marbella Master.

In 2021, Agustín Tapia became Lima's partner. However, they parted ways in September, with Javi Ruiz becoming Lima's new partner for the rest of the year.

Pablo Lima's track record 

Pablo Lima is a professional padel player with an impressive record of 66 WPT Padel Pro victories and a 53-match winning streak. Here is a summary of his tournament wins:

• 2009: Majadahonda, Logroño, and Salamanca with Juani Mieres 
• 2010: Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Valladolid, and Sevilla 
• 2011: Mendoza, Tarragona, and Valencia 
• 2012: Marbella, Acapulco, Sevilla, and Madrid PPT Masters
• 2013: Madrid, El Puerto de Santa María, Las Palmas, Villa Carlos Paz
• 2014: Castellón and Alicante
• 2015: Outstanding year with twelve victories including Río Gallegos, Valladolid, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, La Nucia, Monaco, Sevilla, Villagarcía de Arosa, Dubai, San Sebastián, Valencia and another in Palma de Mallorca. During that year, his main partner was Fernando Belasteguín
• 2016: Another great year with twelve victories, notably in Gijón, Barcelona, Las Rozas de Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid, Las Palmas, another tournament in Las Rozas de Madrid, Sevilla, La Coruña, Zaragoza, Buenos Aires and San Sebastián, always alongside Fernando Belasteguín
• 2017: La Coruña, Barcelona, Alicante, Lisboa, Granada, Zaragoza, Buenos Aires, and 2 Madrid WPT Masters
• 2018: Wins tournaments in Alicante, Valencia, Bastad, twice the Madrid WPT Master (once with Paquito Navarro, and the other with Fernando Belasteguín)
• 2019: Victories in Valencia, Mijas, Cascais and Barcelona WPT Masters with Alejandro Galán
• 2020: Victory in Marbella with Paquito Navarro
• 2021: Wins tournaments in Las Rozas de Madrid and Málaga alongside Agustín Tapia
• 2022: Victory in Toulouse with Franco Stupaczuk. He also won 2 Premier Padel tournaments last year

Currently, he is ranked 21st in the world and plays alongside Agustín Gómez Silingo.

His sponsor: the iconic padel brand Drop Shot

Drop Shot is a brand specialising in padel that entered the market in 2009. Their first padel rackets originated in Mexico. They began with a collaboration with Juan Martin Diaz, the talented player who contributed greatly to the brand's rise. Pablo Lima has been one of the faces of Drop Shot since 2022, after leaving Asics.

Over time, Drop Shot has expanded its range and now offers padel clothing, shoes and other padel accessories. Today, it stands as one of padel's most established brands, providing premium rackets made in Spain. What sets Drop Shot apart from its competitors is its outstanding value for money. 

Pablo Lima's racket

Pablo Lima's favourite racket is the Drop Shot Canyon Pro 1.0. This racket is designed for professional or advanced players looking for a balanced padel racket that optimises attacking shots.

This model was designed paying attention to every single millimetre. It features a teardrop shape, a central balance to optimise striking power, and a fairly wide sweet spot to keep the margin of error to a minimum. 

An alternative to the Drop Shot Canyon Pro 1.0 model is the soft version of the Canyon, for greater playing comfort. It is also aimed at advanced players. Its teardrop shape and central balance facilitate adaptation to all playing situations. The frame construction also contributes to this versatility. Incorporating Textrem 24K carbon fibres, the Canyon Soft's durability is reinforced. However, this premium carbon boosts power, at the risk of reducing comfort. To offset this stiffness, it is also made with low-density EVA Soft foam on the inside. 

Our FAQ dedicated to Pablo Lima

What is Pablo Lima's playing style?

Pablo Lima is a padel player whose playing style contrasts sharply with his personality off the court. Away from the courts, he can come across as a humble and perhaps even shy person. However, once on court, this humility makes way for explosive energy and relentless determination.

One of the defining elements of Lima's game is his aggressiveness. He possesses an ultra-powerful smash, which is often used as a devastating weapon against his opponents. His shots are incisive, sharp and executed with a power that generally surprises those watching him play for the first time. 

What is the latest news on Pablo Lima?

Pablo Lima, a legend of world padel, announced he would retire at the end of the 2023 season. At 36 years old, Lima chose to retire earlier than some of his peers.

Lima's decision to retire rests on two major reasons. Firstly, he has been suffering from a knee problem for two years, which hindered his training and influenced his decision to end his career healthy rather than constantly injured. Lima also wishes to spend more time with his family and highlights the growing difficulty of travelling away from his loved ones.

Who are Pablo Lima's favourite sports stars?

During an interview, Pablo Lima revealed that Roby Gattiker was the padel player he admired most, while tennis player Gustavo Kuerten remains his sporting idol.