A few minutes after their huge victory against  Juanlu Esbrí / Sanyo Gutiérrez ,  Thomas Leygue and Jesús Moya  they spoke to each other on the microphone Padel MagazineAn interview that mainly tells the story of their partnership: a project interrupted by injuries, two paths to rebuilding, then a reunion that takes on a whole new dimension today at Roland-Garros.

Because behind this qualification for the round of 16 of the Paris Major, there is a shared history that goes back a long way.

"We knew that one day we would come back together."

Before Thomas Leygue's injury, the two players had already shared the track.

And for the Frenchman, the association was already working very well.

"When I got injured, I was with Jesús and we were playing at a very high level. We were a very good team."

The injury obviously stopped everything. But in their minds, the door was never truly closed.

"The injury stopped us, but we knew that one day we would come back together and that we would do it well."

A phrase that inevitably carries weight today.

After months of rebuilding on their own,  Leygue and Moya have finally reunited with their association And the results prove them right. Their run at the Paris Major is already exceptional, with four wins since the qualifiers and now a round of 16 appearance.

A real relationship beyond the track

Jesús Moya also emphasizes how easily this pair works.

"Thomas and I are a very good team both on and off the track."

The two players know each other well, their entourages communicate easily and this is also reflected in their way of playing.

Moya mentions a  Quite a similar style, very aggressive but above all a relationship built on trust.

Unlike many pairs on the tour, the two men do not seem to want to operate in a hurry.

"We don't like to change partners, especially if we feel good."

And even when the results are less than ideal, their philosophy remains the same.

"Even if a tournament goes badly, we'll keep going. We have to work."

In a circuit where partner changes have become almost permanent, Leygue and Moya therefore display a different logic:  build, correct, work on and allow time for the project .

Two players plagued by injuries

There is also one element that brings the two men particularly closer together:  their physical journey .

Thomas Leygue is returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon, an injury that completely interrupted his progress and kept him away from the circuit for many months.

Moya is also very familiar with this type of ordeal, having suffered a pectoral injury.

For the Spaniard, going through this kind of period inevitably changes a player.

"Injuries make you think a lot. You have a lot of time to reflect and work on the mental aspects."

Even when it is not possible to work normally on the track, there are still things to develop.

And above all, playing with someone who has had a similar experience inevitably creates a special understanding.

Moya sums it up by talking about Leygue's return after his injury:

"Getting out of that is very difficult. And you manage it, you do it, because you are very strong."

Two different injuries, two long periods away from the level they wished to reach, but the same desire to return.

A project they want to establish over the long term

The message is also clear when it comes to what comes next.

Moya does not present this association as a simple project involving a few tournaments.

"I want to continue for a long time. That's the idea."

A desire that perfectly matches their approach to their sporting relationship.

The two players want to work together, accept bad weeks and seek to progress rather than constantly questioning the project.

And naturally, a week like the one they are experiencing in Paris can only reinforce this conviction.

A clear strategy against Esbrí / Sanyo

Their victory against  Esbrí / Gutiérrez 6/2 4/6 7/5  also demonstrated their ability to prepare precisely for a match.

With their coach  Mati Diaz Leygue and Moya had identified certain areas to be exploited.

"We can analyze the players, but every match is different and sometimes it's more mental than tactical."

The idea was, in particular, to  play more towards Juanlu Esbrí , taking into account Sanyo Gutiérrez's enormous experience.

Moya also explains that he sought out certain trajectories to prevent Esbrí from attacking easily, particularly on a slower track.

The plan worked perfectly in the first set, which they won.  6/2 , with Esbrí in great difficulty and Sanyo increasingly frustrated.

Even when the 13th seed managed to reverse the momentum in the second set, Leygue/Moya maintained their strategy and ended up making the difference in the third.

A reunion that changes everything

This Paris Major therefore tells a story of much more than just a series of victories.

It tells the story of the return of a pair that had been stopped just as they were starting to find their rhythm.

It also tells the story of two players who had to rebuild their bodies, their confidence, and their skill level separately before reuniting.

Today,  Leygue and Moya seem to have picked up exactly where their story left off. , with even more experience.

Having started in the qualifying rounds, they are now in the round of 16 after beating  Gala / Jensen then  Esbrí / Gutiérrez .

And beyond the results, their discourse shows above all one thing: this association is not conceived as a parenthesis.

 They wanted to play together again. They did. And for now, it's hard to imagine a better reunion. 

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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