À  27 years ,  Fiona Ligi  is among the most experienced players of the  French padel Member on several occasions of the France team The Perpignan player continues to progress on the  FIP Tour , with the ambition of regaining the blue jersey.

To achieve this, the player of the famous  Club of   a Mas (typical old farm)  multiplies international trips and strings together performances on the  FIP Bronze  et  FIP Silver .

Actuellement  222th in the world Fiona Ligi is gradually approaching her best ranking, achieved at the  208th place in the world This progression reflects the progress observed in recent months on the international circuit.

 Regularity restored to FIP tournaments 

Since the start of the season, the Frenchwoman has shown impressive consistency. After several years where the  round of XNUMX  Fiona Ligi, who often represented her glass ceiling on the FIP circuit, seems to have turned a corner.

Recent results bear witness to this. The Catalan woman, in particular, has reached the  FIP Silver Bandol quarter-finals  and the  FIP Silver Pembroke confirming her ability to regularly compete with higher-ranked players.

Last spring, she had also signed a  FIP Bronze Cyprus semi-final , while adding a new  quarter-final at the FIP Bronze Rivesaltes .

These performances now allow him to consider a new objective: to regularly integrate the  final four of the FIP Bronze and FIP Silver tournaments .

Fiona Ligi, the "Chingotta" of French padel, continues her rise on the FIP Tour

 A fighter in the shadows 

While some players shine with their power or explosiveness,  Fiona Ligi  has forged a different reputation.

On the track, the Frenchwoman embodies above all the  combativeness A tenacious defender, formidable counter-attacker, and specialist in unseen work, she is reminiscent in some ways of the playing style of  Federico Chingotto , hence the nickname  “Chingotta du padel français” .

A right-sided player, she excels in build-up play and defensive work. Her  mental  This is undoubtedly her main weapon. Even when results are slow to come, she continues to move forward with the same determination.

This ability to never give up was particularly evident during the final of the  P2000 Top Padel , won alongside  Lucile Pothier .

 Twenners… but above all, a lot of work 

Fiona Ligi also knows how to get the crowd going with some spectacular shots, including...  twenners  whose secret she holds.

But behind these attention-grabbing gestures lies an enormous amount of work. The Perpignan native builds her performances thanks to her  daily rigor  and its ability to physically compensate against sometimes more powerful opponents.

She regularly humorously mentions her height:

"I would have liked to have the famous extra 10 centimeters that the FIP offered me on its website. But at 60 meters, I still hope to go far."

 Size is not a predetermined factor for women 

The example of Fiona Ligi is a reminder of a reality often observed on the  women's circuit  Size is not necessarily a determining factor.

La  world number 4 Paula Josemaría  measure also  1,60 meter . Argentina  Claudia jensen  is even announced around 1,58 meter .

More broadly, several top players demonstrate that it is possible to compete at the highest level without having an imposing physique.  quality of movement , the  playing the game , the  to the defense  and the  Decision making  often remain far more decisive criteria.

For  Fiona Ligi The priority remains unchanged: to find the France team .

Competition is fierce among the French players, but the player from  Club du Mas in Perpignan  continues to accumulate points and performances on the  international circuit At 27, she still has many good years ahead of her to continue her progress.

 Fiona Ligi which will obviously be found at  FIP Silver Narbonne  next to  Stefi Merah will form the  pair 9  of the tournament. The French pair will be keen to cause an upset at this international event and to confirm their current good form.

And in light of its current dynamics, the  “Chingotta” from padel French  seems closer than ever to its best standards.

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.