María Laura Ferreyra, the chaco who overcame adversity and dreams of becoming one of the world's padel elite

The best

in the world disembarks again this week in Argentina to play

, the second date of the 2023 World Tour season that is headquartered in the Superdome of that city of Cuyo.

The tournament will be the first held in our country that will play simultaneously the tables of ladies and gentlemen.

And among the 56 players who will fight for the women's title is the youthful

from Chaco , owner of a particular story, who has already begun to shine on the Argentine professional circuit and dreams big.

Born 17 years ago in Villa Ángela, a city located about 190 kilometers west of Resistencia, María is deaf, a sensory disorder she was born with but discovered only when she was five years old.

And although this decrease in her hearing sensitivity made it a little difficult for her to feel comfortable while she was taking her first steps in this sport, today, thanks to the headphones she uses, she is one more on the court. .

"Without the headphones I hear 50 percent, but when I use them, I hear 100 percent of both sides. At first it was difficult for me, because sometimes, when you don't hear well, you miss some things. Although at the same time, you It serves to further develop the ability to observe. Today it doesn't cost me anything, I'm very used to it.

, "he told

, hours before his debut in the Riojan tournament, which he entered thanks to to a wild card and that she will play as a couple with

from Necoché

.

Ferreyra is deaf from birth, but she hears 100 percent with her hearing aids.

Photo AJPP/APA

Ferreyra hit a ball for the first time when he was 7 years old with a tennis racket on the courts of his family's

, where his mother was a teacher.

But at 10 she discovered paddle tennis, in that same institution, and she never released the paddle again.

"I really liked it because it is very dynamic. And it is played in pairs and there is a camaraderie that there is not in tennis, which is more solitary," he recalled.

"As soon as I started playing, I began to participate in the Selective for Minors (

) and in all the competitions that he could.

There was a tournament, a tournament in which he played.

Thus, each time I began to like it more and I dedicated myself and prepared myself more, to be able to become a professional".

In 2015, when she was barely 10 years old, she was invited to the first selective and, since then, she has achieved very outstanding achievements at a minor level.

For example, she won

.

The following year, she was runner-up in that same category at the

.

And in 2018, she repeated the Pan-American celebration, in Brazil, although in Sub 16.

"I liked paddle tennis because it is played in pairs and there is more camaraderie than in tennis," said Ferreyra.

Photo @marianocastrov/AJPP/APA

"I don't expect to get all those achievements, I didn't think I was going to be able to be Pan American champion and world runner-up. It was very nice to have achieved them," said who last year came to occupy number 1 in the APA Under 18 ranking.

Objective, the World Padel Tour

The chaqueña, the same, aims high.

"My dream is to play in the

, the most important circuit in the world," she commented.

For this reason, although he continues to compete in the national teams for those under 18 years of age, he already had his debut in the first division of the

(AJPP) and even achieved some great results.

In September of last year, together with

from Neuquén , she won her first trophy in a 1,000-point AJPP, beating

from Nicole

in the final of the Misiones tournament, belonging to the Argentine professional circuit. .

And the following month, she was crowned in a tournament of the same category in Córdoba together with

. 

Ferreyra (with a colored shirt) and Valenzuela won a 1,000-point tournament in Misiones in September.

Photo @marianocastrov/AJPP/APA

Thanks to this and other very good results, the duo qualified for the

, which was held in December in San Martín de Los Andes.

In that tournament, Ferreyra and Valenzuela, second seeded, lost the final with the experienced couple formed by

 and

, top favorites, after the Chaco injured her left leg.

And after her great season, María finished 2022 in eighth place in the women's ranking.

She is so focused on reaching her goal of being a professional player, that for some time she has been based in Corrientes, where she trains with Professor

.

Although she is already planning a very big change: crossing the Atlantic to settle in the Old Continent and give a quality leap to her game. 

"In Villa Ángela there is not a high level, especially in the female branch, because there are not many players. That is why I am training in Corrientes, although with men, because I have no other choice. A few weeks ago I was doing the preseason there with Joselo and then I went to Buenos Aires for a few days to prepare for the La Rioja tournament with Felicitas," he explained.

And he continued: "My idea is to move to Spain, to be able to train there and dedicate myself professionally to padel. I think we would leave in April, but we are still closing everything, so I can't get too far ahead. My dream is to play on the World Padel Tour I hope it happens and I can be champion in a tournament".

"I dream of playing on the World Padel Tour. I hope it happens and I can win a tournament," Ferreyra was excited.

Instagram photo @marialauraferreyra_1

In La Rioja, Ferreyra -who is banking on her career with the help of her parents, but is close to adding her first sponsor- will take the first step to make that dream come true.

Because he will play the main draw of a world circuit tournament for the first time, thanks to an invitation he received from the organization.

"It's all thanks to

(

). I didn't expect this wild card", commented who, together with Darboure, will debut this Wednesday on the Superdome court, against the Argentine María Virginia Riera and the Spanish Tamara Icardo, eighth favorites.

And he closed: "I am very happy and very anxious to play the tournament. And preparing to give my best and perform very well in the game. Hopefully I can give it." 

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