The news came as a surprise: Araceli Martínez has chosen to end its association with Alix Collombon, while the Lyonnaise was hoping to finish the season with him. An unexpected decision which leaves the French number 1 in a delicate situation just a few weeks before the end of the calendar Premier Padel.

A hard blow to digest

Formed at the beginning of the year, the pair Collombon / Martinez had managed to find a certain balance, notably with a good performance during the Paris Major, punctuated by a qualification for the round of 16. But since then, the results had run out of steam.

According to Pierre Guille Sanchez, attentive follower of the circuit:

"The pair had reached the end of the road for me. Especially when you start to lose results on slow tracks where you have to work on every point, which was Alix and Ara's strength."

A logical end to the cycle, but one which comes at an inopportune time for the Frenchwoman, forced to rethink her end of season in a context where available partners are becoming scarce.

A complicated end to the season to rebuild

For the FIP Platinum Lyon, which will take place from October 13 to 19, Collombon will play again with Jessica Ginier, his former partner in France. An iconic French padel duo, who are back on the courts together for a home tournament.

But beyond this symbolic parenthesis, the question remains: Who will Alix finish the international season with?
Opportunities narrow as the pairs stabilize.

"There have been several changes recently, and it's a shame to have missed Raquel Eugenio, who will play with Lucia Sainz," explains Pierre Guille Sanchez.

Among the few credible leads mentioned, we find a few names: Carla Goenaga, currently in a difficult period with Claudia Caldera, could represent an ideal option if the separation were confirmed.

"If Alix manages to get together with Goenaga, it's a jackpot, even if I don't believe it," Sanchez says.

Other players remain theoretically available: Sofia Sharifova, explosive but irregular, Julieta Bidahorria, getting back into shape, or even Nuria Rodríguez, who had achieved good results with Carolina Orsi a few seasons ago.

A delicate passage… but perhaps an opportunity

After several years marked by changes of partners and a demanding schedule, Alix Collombon was finally hoping for stability. This last-minute breakup therefore adds a new complicated step to manage.

But the Frenchwoman has already proven her ability to bounce back. Always around the 25th place in the world, she remains the highest ranked French player and a figure in European padel.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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