Inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Deus Brothers power their pursuit of Padel glory

For the Deus brothers, February 11 was an unforgettable day. The Portuguese duo are a force to be reckoned with in the world of padel, and while competing at the Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1 tournament, a special guest arrived. It was none other than their compatriot, the football legend who lit up stadiums across the world with his trickery and sheer skill — Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese superstar came to show his support for the brothers, cheering them on throughout. The Deus brothers won on the night, much to Ronaldo’s delight. Speaking to India Today exclusively about the moment, the brothers, Miguel (32) and Nuno (30), said it was a dream come true.

"It was a dream come true for us to have Ronaldo in the stadium watching us. He watched three of our matches at P1 Riyadh. Sometimes during play, we’d look to the stands and see him really supporting us and wanting us to win. It was surreal because we’ve been in the stadium many times watching him play for the national team, Real Madrid, and other clubs, and here we had switched roles, with him watching us. Those are nights we will never forget," said the Deus brothers.

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For Miguel and Nuno, Ronaldo is not just an icon but also a role model whose work ethic they try to replicate.

"Ronaldo is our childhood idol. We try to copy his discipline, routines, and mindset, although his mentality is truly unique. We can’t do everything he does, but we incorporate some of his habits into our own approach. He’s a role model to so many people, and as Portuguese, we are especially proud of him. He’s our hero," they added.

Brothers and Teammates on the court

In racquet sports, doubles action always brings something special. While singles players often take the spotlight, sibling partnerships have created legacies of their own. The Bryan brothers and the Williams sisters are two such teams who dominated tennis. For the Deus brothers, such examples of family success served as inspiration.

"The Bryan brothers and the Williams sisters are definitely big inspirations for us. In Padel, we also have the example of the Alayeto twins, who’ve built an amazing legacy. These are all stories of incredible dominance, of family overcoming challenges and achieving great success," said the Deus brothers.

Separated by just two years, Miguel and Nuno’s racquet sports journey began in tennis. Their initial goal was to succeed in the sport of Federer and Nadal, before shifting their focus to Padel. Interestingly, their first plan wasn’t to compete but to coach.

"We were tennis players originally, and in 2018, we made the switch to padel but at the time, our goal was actually to become Padel coaches. We didn’t plan on pursuing a playing career. From those early coaching days, we started entering a few weekend tournaments here and there, and gradually, year after year, we began training more seriously and investing in becoming professionals," they recalled.

Miguel was the one who convinced his younger brother to form a partnership.

"I’d say I, Miguel Deus, was the one who first pushed for us to take that step as a duo. At the time, my brother had just ended his tennis career a few months earlier and wasn’t really focused on competing professionally again. So I was the one who gave that initial push for us to start building something together," said Miguel.

Success soon followed. The Deus brothers became the No.1 Portuguese pair, reached the semifinals at the World Padel Championship, and became the first 100% Portuguese duo to reach the main draw in Premier Padel. They also made history as the first siblings to reach the Round of 16 in Premier Padel.

For them, playing as brothers adds a unique dimension.

"Being brothers brings a whole family history with it. When we win, we celebrate as a family — it’s something very special. We truly believe that sharing this journey as brothers has a hugely positive impact on our careers," said the Deus brothers.

They also highlight their chemistry on court.

"As we always say, we’re sure that being brothers brings more advantages than disadvantages. When it comes to planning our training or the season ahead, it’s much simpler for us; we know we’re always going to play together, so organizing everything becomes easier.

On court, we also have a really unique chemistry, something very special that I don’t think you can have with any other partner. So yes, it’s fantastic to be able to compete as brothers. Of course, now and then we have our little disagreements; it’s normal. But at the end of the day, the advantages of being brothers and playing together definitely outweigh the downsides," they explained.

Love for India and the growth of Padel

The Deus brothers also recently came to India to participate in the World Padel League (WPL), which concluded on August 18. They represented the Vernost Jaguars, who finished at the bottom of the table with 22 points. Despite the result, they remain optimistic about Padel’s future in India.

"Events like the WPL will help push Padel forward in India. The country has the people, infrastructure, and interest to grow the sport. I hope Premier Padel comes to India one day — it would be a pleasure to play here in a tournament on the international circuit. We definitely look forward to coming back to play in WPL again," said the Deus brothers.

"We believe leagues like this one can definitely help padel grow in countries where the sport is still developing. We know that in India, padel is still at an early stage. But formats like this, where fans can get behind specific teams and feel part of something, can really accelerate the sport’s growth in places like India."

They also see Padel as a sport with long-term global potential.

"Padel will be one of the sports of the future. Tennis is still the king of racket sports, but maybe in 20–30 years, padel will be on the same level. Every country is starting to play, and when it becomes an Olympic sport, its growth will accelerate. In Portugal, Padel is booming, with many players, including tennis players, switching over. It’s easy to start, fun to watch in person or on TV, and has a huge potential to grow. Pickleball is huge in the USA, but in Portugal, it’s minimal compared to Padel," said the brothers.

As for their own journey, Miguel and Nuno remain grounded. They know they are in the later stages of their careers but still have ambitions to inspire the future generations in the sport.

"I think our ultimate goal in Padel is to inspire new generations of Padel players in Portugal. We know we’re not young anymore, so while it would be lovely to say we want to be number one in the world, we need to be realistic. We don’t know if we’ll ever be in the top 10, but we will try our best to reach our best version. Playing in a master final and being among the top 16 players is a realistic goal. We have a good story to tell. Two players who played together for a long time, and we want to use that to inspire new generations in Portugal," they said.