The elimination of Inigo Jofre  in the first round of  FIP Platinum Tirana  It did not go unnoticed. But even more than the result, it was her choice of partner that had been the talk of the town in recent days.

The Spanish player, currently  29th in the world had lined up in Albania with  Lok Hei Jamie , a Hong Kong player still relatively inexperienced on the international circuit. This partnership has sparked numerous reactions on social media, with some observers questioning the presence of a player of Jofre's caliber alongside a partner considered to be far below the usual level of a Platinum tournament.

In response to the controversy, Iñigo Jofre felt compelled to speak out in an interview given to  BRAND .

 "People come first." 

The Spaniard initially expressed regret over the tone of some of the criticism, particularly towards his partner:

"First and foremost, I want to talk about education. We may agree or disagree, but disrespect should never be accepted."

Jofre points out that Jamie is not an established professional player:

"He's practically a beginner in top-level padel. He's only been playing seriously for less than a year. His level has been criticized, but that might affect him more than it affects me."

The Spanish player explained that he wanted to offer an opportunity to an ambitious young player:

"I'm giving him a chance to motivate himself and maybe turn professional. He's 23 years old, he comes from Hong Kong, and this experience will help him progress."

 A fully regulatory participation 

The pair were ultimately eliminated in their first match by an Albanian team, a result that further amplified the criticism.

However, Jofre points out that their registration fully complied with the rules of the International Federation of Padel.

"We didn't do anything wrong. Is that unusual? Yes. But everything that happened was completely legal."

The Spaniard believes the debate is legitimate but that some reactions have gone too far:

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but no one can decide what is right or wrong. The rules exist, and we have respected them."

 "I sleep very well at night." 

Despite the scale of the affair on social media, Jofre claims to have taken the situation with a great deal of perspective.

"Honestly, it mostly kept me busy. There were even some very funny comments."

The Spanish player claims to have kept smiling throughout the controversy:

"I even joked about it with my friends. I have a clear conscience and I sleep very well at night."

He also revealed that he had spoken with his partner after the wave of criticism:

"His first message was to ask if all this was affecting me. I told him to stay calm, that we hadn't done anything wrong, and that he should continue working."

 A debate that goes beyond the Jofre case 

This case mainly highlights a recurring issue in professional padel: registrations on the FIP circuit and the sometimes significant differences in level between some partners.

For Iñigo Jofre, the case is simple: he chose to give an opportunity to a developing player, within a framework perfectly authorized by the regulations.

Nevertheless, this participation, followed by an elimination in the first round, will undoubtedly have been one of the most discussed topics of the week on the international circuit.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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