from Chapter 830 Towards Professional Peaks: A Journey of Faith, Work, and Spiritual Power
Eduardo Santana is a professional coach who has worked with both professional and non-professional players.
September 2021I left my native Spain and started a new professional and personal chapter in Mexico. I arrived in September 15 With a clear goal: to start working with a young Mexican tennis player, María José Portillo, ranked Chapter 830 exist Women’s Tennis Association Singles ranking at that time. she twenty two Older, full of potential, and at a crossroads familiar to many professional athletes—a crossroads where talent must translate into consistency, belief, and results.
From day one, we put our heart and soul into our work. Long hours on the court, intense physical training in the gym, and countless conversations with María José, her family and the team laid the foundation for our process. For me, this stage is not optional; it is necessary. Understanding an athlete’s background, personal story, emotional world, and competitive identity allows a coach to truly understand where the athlete is, why they are there, and what must be done to move forward. Only by understanding her strengths, fears, habits, and personality can we build a meaningful path.
From the beginning, what impressed me most about Maria Jose was her work ethic. Although cultural differences, misunderstandings and tense moments naturally arise in any environment
She has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to improvement in a high performance environment. She worked relentlessly from day one and quickly achieved results. Six months later, in March 2022she has climbed over 400 The position is in Women’s Tennis Association Ranking reached a career high at the time Chapter 413 exist Women’s Tennis Association in singles. This is strong proof that we are on the right path.
But elite sport is never a straight line. years 2022 Ending with Maria José by her side 650 Women’s Tennis Associationand starting from the second half of the year 2022 through most 2023the results we sought simply did not come. she is done 2023 around 500 Women’s Tennis Association mark. This was without a doubt the toughest stage of our journey.
Week after week, we do a lot of research on the mental, emotional and competitive aspects of her game. Every practice and every game becomes a battle to improve, even if it’s just one percent. This is the true reality of professional tennis. Technical and physical abilities are important, but mentality is the backbone that supports athletes. Must train every day,
There is no pause, either in times of success or times of struggle. These are two sides of the same coin, and both require equal attention.
Maria José’s refusal to surrender is what keeps us going. I am forever grateful for her persistence during difficult times. She never stopped believing, never stopped working, and never stopped being brave.
then came 2024 — the most successful and satisfying season of her career. From January to September, María José climbed more than 300 The position is in Women’s Tennis Association Ranking. She reached the semifinals five times ITTF 35K Championship, won five times ITTF 35K doubles champion, enters the semi-finals ITTF 100K, Singles and Doubles, Quarterfinals, Team Vitoria, Spain ITTF 75K advanced to the quarterfinals in Vienna, defeating Victoria Mboko in straight sets in the first round and is currently ranked No. 1 20 exist Women’s Tennis Association ranking. With this win and many wins against top players throughout the year 150 Women’s Tennis AssociationMaría José has reached the best moment of her career so far – both in terms of ranking and level.
I would also like to highlight a special achievement in doubles: the title ITTF 100K Championship in Biarritz, France (July 2025), partnered with Spanish player Irene Burillo and defeated a very strong combination (above) 150), showed a huge level and brought us all a lot of joy.
As a coach, I have never believed that there is one factor that “guarantees” any athlete’s success. But based on my experience, I firmly believe that it is impossible to achieve real success in sport or in life without: continuous Work, persist in exist difficult wonderful moments (In good times, this is easy; it doesn’t tell me much), enthusiasm and strength exist daily effort, and high minimum standard (For me, this is essential Because every day, every week, every month, every year, we experience different emotions and situations in our personal lives and inner worlds that often act as ongoing obstacles to pursuing our goals. Working every day, no matter how we feel, we are still able to deliver a high level of performance at the lowest level, which is a pillar of my belief and work as a coach.
The experience of María José Portillo is a powerful example of what can be achieved when faith and discipline meet. I am so proud to be a part of this journey and to be able to help her.
