For the first edition of  FIP Bronze  de  Marnes-la-Coquette ,  Léa Godallier  lived up to expectations perfectly. Associated with the Spanish  Lucia Peralta The Frenchwoman won the tournament without dropping a single set, with a victory in the final against Argentina.  Daiara Valenzuela / Maria Ferreyra , 7/6 6/3.

A first title this season that comes at the right time, after a period marked by an ankle injury and a separation from  Giorgia Marchetti  and the search for a new project on the international circuit. In Marnes, Godallier didn't just win a tournament. She also closed an important chapter of her career to open a new one with  Ariadna Canellas , while already looking ahead to the French national team and the French Championships.

A first title this season, at home

For Léa Godallier, this success in Marnes has a special significance. Firstly, because it was the tournament's inaugural edition. Secondly, because the event took place in the Paris region, in an almost familial environment.

Alongside  Lucia Peralta She went through the week with great control and real solidity throughout the tournament.

"With my amazing partner Lucia, who in addition to being a superb player is a wonderful person, I'm very happy to have shared the court with her and to have won this tournament."

This title rewards the second-best French player, who had already played in several finals this season, notably in  FIP Silver  à  Kuala Lumpur  et  Dubai without reaching a conclusion.

This time, the scenario took a turn for the better.

"What could be better than winning a tournament at home?"

Léa Godallier crowned champion at home at the FIP Bronze Marnes with Lucia Peralta Exposito

A very solid start to the season with Marchetti

Before her ankle injury, which kept her off the slopes for almost a month, Léa Godallier had nevertheless made a very good start to her year with  Giorgia Marchetti The two players had managed to regularly qualify on the circuit.  Premier Padel , with several qualifications for the main draw and matches played against the best pairs in the world.

Godallier specifically mentions several round of 16 matches, including games against  Guinart / Virseda , but also against  Jensen / Icardo  in Riyadh.

Beyond the results, it was above all the content that impressed her.

"We were very happy at the beginning of the year. The fact that we passed the qualifiers quite easily, judging by the scores, with a really very good performance in each match, gave us a lot of confidence."

And that's precisely what makes what followed a little more frustrating. Because despite these good performances, some defeats left a bitter taste.

In Cancún in particular, the pair came very close to a big upset against Guinart / Virseda, with break opportunities in a match lost in the third set.

"We had some missed opportunities which, in the end, hurt. We are both very perfectionist people. Giorgia perhaps even more so than me."

Léa readily admits that her role as a mother sometimes allows her to put certain defeats into perspective. But for Marchetti, these missed opportunities have weighed heavily.

Godallier / Marchetti: a third consecutive eighth place on the circuit Premier Padel in 2026

The real reason for the separation from Giorgia Marchetti

The separation between Léa Godallier and Giorgia Marchetti is therefore not linked to a lack of immediate results. It stems primarily from a deeper reality: the impossibility of training together sufficiently.

Godallier makes it very clear. With a child, she cannot add weeks of training in Madrid to an already extremely busy schedule.

"I have a child and I can't afford, on top of going to tournaments every week, to take an extra week to train with her in Madrid. That's the real reason for our separation."

The two players had nevertheless shown some very good things, almost without any joint preparation.

"We arrived at the beginning of the year without having trained once. We had seen each other in November 2025, then met up again in February."

But for Marchetti, the project couldn't move forward without more collaborative work. And Godallier understands this position.

"She thinks we had reached our limits a bit if we didn't make the effort to train together more. And I think she's right in a way. Maybe we would have won those matches if we had trained together. We'll never know."

The content was good. Even very good compared to the previous year. But at the highest level, it's sometimes these small details that change the trajectory of a pair.

Lucia Peralta, the one-shot that ended up as a title

After the split with Marchetti, everything happened very quickly. Registrations for the  FIP Bronze of Marnes  They were closing two days later. Léa Godallier therefore had to find a partner quickly.

It is in this context that she contacted several players, including  Lucia Peralta  et  Ariadna Canellas .

Peralta immediately accepted for Marnes. Canellas, however, was not available for this tournament, but would eventually become Godallier's new partner starting the following week.

The situation could have been delicate, as Lucia Peralta and Ariadna Canellas were acting together. Léa knows this, and she's not trying to sugarcoat things.

"I told her: Lucia, I wanted to write to you, but I wanted you to have a discussion with Ari first. I want you to know that if you don't want to play the FIP in Marnes, I'll totally understand, because in the end I'm taking your partner away from you."

Peralta's response will deeply affect the Frenchwoman.

"She told me: the only thing you can do to please me is for us to win the FIP."

Message received. Both players will go all the way.

An even greater success on a human level

This title with Lucia Peralta therefore takes on a special dimension for Léa Godallier. Not only because it is her first victory of the year, but because it comes in a difficult personal context.

Léa places great emphasis on the human qualities of her Spanish partner. In a circuit where partnerships change quickly, sometimes brutally, she appreciated the way Peralta handled the situation.

"So few girls would have taken it that way."

Godallier even recounts that Lucia regularly wrote to him to tell him not to stress out, that padel had been working this way for years and that some situations were sometimes resolved much less cleanly.

"I'm even happier to have won with Lucia because she deserves it so much. We all deserve it so much."

This victory therefore resembles a successful interlude. A tournament played as a one-off, in a particular context, but concluded in the best possible way.

Léa Godallier: title in Marnes, separation from Marchetti and a new challenge with Canellas

Ariadna Canellas, a return to basics

The rest, however, will be written with  Ariadna Canellas A partner who is anything but a default choice for Léa Godallier.

On the contrary.

Canellas was her first foreign partner on the international circuit, five years ago now. A long-standing, almost sentimental relationship in her playing career.

"It was really important to me to play with her again and not start a completely new project."

At this point in her career, Godallier isn't just looking for a player who is available or highly ranked. She also wants someone she feels comfortable with off the court.

Her status as a mother inevitably changes the way she builds her projects.

"As a mother, I don't want to go on a trip with someone I don't get along with. I can't afford to be away from my son and miss out on enjoying time with him, both on and off the field."

With Ariadna Canellas, she already knows that there's a good rapport. And in a period of transition, that matters almost as much as the sporting project.

A new project launched in the Netherlands

The new association between  Léa Godallier and Ariadna Canellas  began just a few days after the Marnes triumph, on the occasion of the  FIP Bronze of the Netherlands Unfortunately, the first encounter did not go well for the French and Spanish players, who were eliminated in their opening match by the Belgians.  Boeykens / Pysson , future winners of the tournament.

Despite this frustrating result, Léa doesn't question her choice. After several weeks marked by change and uncertainty, this new partnership provides her with a sense of continuity.

She is reunited with a partner she has known for several years, with whom there are already affinities, both on and off the field.

"From a human perspective, there's no one better. There are very few like her on the circuit."

Beyond this initial result, the objective is long-term. After her title win in Marnes alongside Lucia Peralta, Godallier begins this new chapter with greater serenity, a return to form physically, and the desire to build something solid with Ariadna Canellas in upcoming international competitions.

An increasingly competitive women's circuit

Beyond her personal situation, Léa Godallier has also observed a very clear evolution in the overall level of play on the women's circuit. Since her return after her pregnancy, the Frenchwoman has seen the competition intensify at every level of the rankings.

Getting back into the world's top 50 is therefore no longer as easy as it was a few years ago.

"Honestly, the average level of the players has improved enormously. But that's a very good thing for the sport."

This progress is particularly noticeable in tournament qualifying. Premier Padel.

"Today, it's war. There are no more easy matches. Before, you could sometimes come across wild cards or less experienced players. Now, from the first round, it's a real battle."

In addition to this sporting difficulty, there is also a points system that does not always favor the players present on the circuit. Premier PadelLéa also echoes the recent criticisms made by Spaniard Sofía Saiz regarding the gap between points awarded on the FIP circuit and those obtained after several qualifying victories. Premier Padel.

"Everything she wrote is true."

This is an observation shared by a large proportion of the players on the circuit.

Sofía Saiz denounces the limitations of the system Premier Padel "I can't find a way to continue."

A French team in the midst of transition

The other major news story obviously concerns the French women's national team. With the international retirement of  Jessica Ginier An important chapter is closing for the French national team.

For Léa Godallier, the question is actually poorly framed when a possible replacement is mentioned.

Jessica Ginier simply will not be replaced.

Because his importance far exceeded his level of play.

According to Léa, Jess held a unique position in the French group, both on and off the field.

She was one of the natural leaders of this team, capable of uniting the collective, transmitting energy and carrying the group in important moments.

The player who will now join the selection will therefore not have to seek to take her place, but rather to build her own role.

For the French team, several players now seem almost certain to be included in the next lists of  Juan Alday , the new coach of the French women's national team.

These include, in particular,  Alix Collombon ,  Carla Toully ,  Louise Bahurel ,  Melissa Martin ,  Lucile Pothier ,  Charlotte Soubrié  and of course  Léa Godallier .

Behind this core group, the competition is expected to be particularly intense.

 Camille Sireix ,  Steffi Merah ,  Fiona Ligi  et  Marie-Amelie Dardaine  appear as serious candidates. Not to mention the excellent recent results of  Manon Marcarie ,  Cassandra Senjean  or,  Clara Mansart .

One thing is certain: the future French national team coach will have difficult choices to make in the coming months.

Juan Alday appointed coach of the French women's national team

With Carla Touly, a new challenge at the French Championships

For the first time in five years, Léa Godallier will also compete in the French Championships without  Alix Collombon  by his side.

An important chapter closes after five titles won together.

For this new edition, the Frenchwoman has chosen to partner with  Carla Toully , French number 3.

A logical choice from a sporting perspective, but also from a human one.

"We know each other very well. We're very close friends off the field, just like I was with Alix."

While many already consider this association to be the clear favorite in the tournament, Léa is much more cautious.

Firstly, because she believes the pressure will be particularly intense.

"It's going to be especially difficult for us. I have five titles behind me, Carla will want to win her first French championship, so naturally there will be a lot of expectations."

Secondly, because she rejects the idea of ​​a championship that is predetermined.

Many observers believe that the Godallier/Touly pair has a significant advantage over the rest of the field. A view that the Frenchwoman herself strongly qualifies.

She specifically cites the pair  Louise Bahurel / Lucile Pothier  as a very serious threat.

Godallier points out that Louise Bahurel has already demonstrated her potential on the international circuit, notably by pushing top 30 world players to their limits, such as  Lucia Sainz  et  Araceli Martinez .

As for Lucile Pothier, she remains, according to her, one of the most complete right-handed players in French padel.

Another important element: Léa will play on the left alongside Carla Touly, a position that is not her natural side.

All these factors make the competition much more open than it appears.

"Yes, it's going to be tough for the others. But there are also some pairs that can really give us trouble."

Before concluding with a smile:

"If Louise and Lucile play like they did against Italy at the European Championships, I'd really like to see that match. And the best team will win."

After her title in Marnes, her change of partner and the arrival of many important appointments with the French team and the French Championships, Léa Godallier is approaching the rest of the season with new references, but still the same ambition: to keep having fun on the court, to remain among the references of French padel and to continue to exist at the highest international level.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!

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