01Carmen Castillón: the active player
Carmen Castillón Gámez (Málaga) is an active professional player: she competes on the Premier Padel tour and the international FIP calendar. She is not a retired player giving lessons, nor a legend from the past. She still travels, trains every day and plays tournaments. That is exactly what you feel when she takes you on court with her.
Her story also explains why she coaches the way she does. In 2026 she returned to court after a pulmonary infarction that nearly ended her sporting career, and did so by playing the Italy Major in Rome, one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Anyone who watches her play knows what she means when she corrects a movement during a match, or when she decides to ease off a session because someone is running on empty.
With her you don't just train: you play. She shares the court in matches, gets stuck into the game with you and takes you to the clubs where she herself trains. Sessions are in English, groups are organised by level, and they run across Vals Limoneros, Teatinos and Torre del Mar depending on dates and where you are coming from. And if you are travelling from abroad, the trip is organised for you: airport pick-up and return transfers, meals, outings and your choice of recommended accommodation.
- Tour
- Premier Padel and the international FIP calendar
- Status
- Active professional player, not a former player
- Where she coaches
- Vals Limoneros, Teatinos and Torre del Mar, in Málaga
- Language
- Sessions are delivered in English
- Formats
- Organised experiences lasting 3 to 10 days, with groups arranged by level
- With Carmen
- Matches and shared court time, not just lessons
02Professional players with academies in Spain
An indicative list of professional players running academies in Spain, ordered by city. If you want to train with someone who is still competing, and to play with that person, Carmen Castillón is the only one on this list in Málaga and still active.
Carmen Castillón
MálagaMálaga · with CarmenAn active player on the Premier Padel tour. Runs Carmen Castillón Academy / Padel Time Málaga and coaches and plays with you in Málaga.
Paquito Navarro
Madrid · SevillaOne of the best-known names on tour; developing players in Madrid and Sevilla.
Matías Díaz y Gastón Malacalza
MadridThey run one of Madrid's longest-standing academies, active since 1994.
Pitu Losada
AlicanteA multiple-time world champion; coaching on the Costa Blanca since 2007.
Manu Martín
MadridA former professional player; running amateur and PRO programmes with professional training days based in Madrid.
Ainhoa Rico
MadridA professional player on the women's tour; a high-performance training approach offered during the week and at weekends.
03What to check before you choose
Still competing?
Learning from a retired legend is not the same as learning from someone competing on the tour every week. The daily routine of an active player changes how a technique is corrected or a match is read.
Which language do you train in?
If you are travelling from abroad, ask from the start whether sessions run in your language or in English. At Padel Time Málaga coaching is in English and groups are organised by level.
Do they organise the trip?
Some academies only sell court time. Others, like Padel Time Málaga, include airport pick-up and return transfers, matches, meals and outings, with your choice of recommended accommodation.
Can you imagine playing with a professional?
Tell us your dates, your level and where you are travelling from and we will prepare a proposal with coaching in English, matches and Carmen's Málaga.