Carolina Orsi: "I do detox days with smoothies. Padel? Discovered with dad Nando"
In her palmares important medals: a gold at the 2023 European Games, a bronze medal at the World Championships (both in tandem with Giorgia Marchetti) and the desire to continue to amaze at 33 years old. Carolina Orsi does not want to stop growing or dreaming, and after winning in Valencia in tandem with Nuria Rodriguez she already has her next goal in her sights: " I would like to enter the top 20 in the world . I finished the 2024 season at number 28, already an excellent result, but I want to continue to grow, even if it will be difficult I am working well. After the tournament in Valencia and another in Asturias I will begin the world tour, starting from America: two tournaments in Mexico, then Miami and Chile". Like her father Nando , former Lazio goalkeeper and now sports commentator who also passed on to her his support for Lazio , Carolina has also dedicated her life to sport, reaching great goals.
Her father always says that now she is no longer Nando's daughter, but he is Carolina's father...
“Yes, dad is like that, he loves to make jokes (laughs, ed.), the best thing is that underneath this joke I perceive all the pride and pleasure he feels in watching me play . He has always been by my side, he has always followed me and encouraged me. I think it was a bit like giving him a second life as a player , because they experience the adrenaline of the game even off the pitch and I see that he enjoys following me. I feel his closeness, so everything is perfect”.
How do you prepare for such a busy schedule?
“ I usually train 6 times a week , with one day of rest. There is obviously the on-court part, usually 2 hours plus a possible finishing session in the afternoon that can last 60-90 minutes. Then there is the physical preparation that depends on the period: when I am more 'unloaded' I tend to load more, while approaching the tournaments I work more on speed, explosiveness and cardio , with loads always dosed based on the time of the season”.
What does his diet consist of?
“I am followed by a nutritionist. My breakfast depends a lot on the period. If I have to lose a little weight I usually eat a yogurt with red fruits and a cappuccino with vegetable milk , while when I have to push harder I add some bread with avocado , which allows me to take in good fats, together with smoked salmon, tuna or raw ham . I always try to have a complete breakfast. For lunch I try to combine carbohydrates (pasta or potatoes) and proteins that can come from fish or meat, accompanied by a quarter of a plate of vegetables. Sometimes I make a mini-appetizer with a caprese salad or a spinach flan . Dinner follows the same principle of balance, with more or less carbohydrates based on the effort expected the following day. This is my typical day, then usually once a week or in the period immediately following a tournament or a trip I do a detox day”.
How does your detox work?
“Usually at tournaments you eat at the restaurant buffet , so you don't have access to the foods and quantities that you would like to control, starting - for example - from the simple type of oil. So with the nutritionist we plan a couple of days of detox based on smoothies to eliminate toxins and purify the body: in the morning I take a smoothie based on lemon and ginger , for lunch one based on orange , mango and strawberry accompanied by two eggs and a bit of avocado, because in any case with the detox you don't chew much and on a psychological level it is difficult to sustain without eating anything solid. In the evening instead I take a smoothie of red beetroot, turmeric and ginger . As I said, I do it once a week in principle if I'm at home, or after a tournament. I feel really good, my body feels much lighter”.
And on match day?
"It depends on the time of the game. If we play in the afternoon, in the morning I have a nice breakfast with toast, avocado, tuna or salmon, cappuccino or tea. Then it depends: if the game is at lunchtime, I can also have an egg omelette for breakfast to be ready for the match, if it is later, there is also lunch where I eat pasta, rice or potatoes to add more carbohydrates together with the classic proteins and vegetables".
With this pace, do you manage to take some time to unplug? What are your passions?
“I really love cinema. Unfortunately I don’t have much time to watch all the films or series I would like , I have an endless list of things I should see (laughs, ed.). I read a lot , especially when I’m travelling by plane, or between one match and another. Then it depends on the moment, I also have a passion for puzzles (laughs, ed.) which I alternate with video games, shopping, some exhibitions . I try to keep myself busy. Then obviously I follow sports, after all my dad has been and is in the world of football all his life, I remain a big Lazio fan. Then I live in Madrid, so when there is El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona the atmosphere is always beautiful. Obviously I continue to follow tennis, in recent years we have so many Italians who make it really nice to follow every tournament”.
How did your passion for padel begin?
“It happened by chance. I was on vacation at the seaside with my family and Gianfranco Nirdaci, a friend of my father and president of the Padel committee in Italy, invited me and my dad to play a match. At the time I didn't know anything about it, so much so that I borrowed his racket to play, but in the end not only was it fun, but Gianfranco even said to me: 'Wow, you play well, why don't you really try?' . From there I started at the Aniene club, which is still my club, and from a hobby it became a real job. From that match on vacation to the European and World medals there was a long road in between, but it was and still is a wonderful journey”.
La Gazzetta dello Sport
