From star doubles player to coach, Paola Suárez is now on a new mission

After years away from the pro tour, Paola Suárez is back on the courts in a different role, with a mission that seems to suit her to a T: helping players grow. Her debut as captain of the Argentine national team in the Billie Jean King Cup in April ended on a high note. The result allowed Argentina to qualify for the playoffs for a sixth year in a row while also placing a new building block for a new structure within Argentine women’s tennis. Suárez’s goal is now to broaden the player base, strengthen Argentina’s doubles team, build a team identity, and support a young generation of players looking to establish themselves in a historically tough environment. A special debut for a special player Hailing from Pergamino, Buenos Aires province, Paola Suárez was one of the most important players in Argentine tennis history.  She reached the World No. 1 spot in the doubles rankings of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the women’s professional tennis organizing body, won 44 titles — including eight Grand Slams — and won bronze at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Her singles career is nothing to sniff at either. Suárez was a world No. 9, won four titles, and even reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2004. However, since retiring, Suárez has been away from the circuit, instead focusing on running the Pro Tenis Academy in Oviedo, Spain. “The debut as captain was very special for me,” Suárez told the AAT. “After having been distanced from the world of the professional circuit, coming back and representing my country from a different place feels great.” She admits she was “nervous” at first, having to transition from a star player on the court to a leader off it, with the responsibility of teaching skills, managing emotions, and building relationships.  “I didn’t know if I’d be able to convey everything I wanted to the girls,” she noted.  It was then that her experience at the academy came in handy, helping her make an instant connection with the players. “The meeting went really well. I’m getting to know the girls little by little, figuring out what they like and how they prefer to work,” said Suárez. A long-term project for women’s tennis Argentina secured a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs in April, beating Ecuador 2-0 in the deciding series after defeating Peru and Chile and losing only to Brazil in the group stage. The win set up Suárez’s team for a November away series against Japan and a chance to make the World Group. Reaching the Billie Jean King Cup elite would prove a push to the new captain. “It’s a very positive thing,” she said. “Getting off to a start like this always helps and gives you the confidence to keep working.” Suárez is already working with vice-captain Mariano Hood on a long-term project with the two-fold goal of developing the team’s doubles and expanding the team. “We want to have 10 to 12 players who can come to training sessions and help each other out,” she said. As one of Argentina’s best-ever doubles players and having played with some of the greatest players of her era, like the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova, and Amélie Mauresmo, Suárez is now eager to lead a new generation of Argentine prospects. “I feel great and am looking forward to keeping working,” she said.