Having recently finished as runner-up at the European Junior Championships with the French team in Porto, Nathan Perrot continues his busy summer at the FIP Promises Paris by WME Sports. At just 16 years old, the Palavas-trained player will compete in the U16 and U18 categories alongside Sacha Huard de La Marre. In an interview given to  Padel Magazine He looks back on his journey, his daily training with several of the best French players, the Euro final against Spain and his ambitions for the rest of the season.

From football to padel, a choice that changed everything

Before dedicating himself to padel, Nathan Perrot was first and foremost a football enthusiast.

Trained at an academy near Montpellier, he discovered padel thanks to his father, who took him to a tournament one day. Initially, the young man from the Hérault region simply enjoyed hitting a few balls against the glass walls before trying out a singles court with his father. He was immediately hooked. He quickly joined the club of  palavas , where he began his career under the orders of  Yannick Morel .

For a while, he split his time between football and padel, before making a final choice.

"At first, I did both. Then I stopped playing football to dedicate myself to padel."

Nathan Perrot: between European money and international ambitions

A daily life within the French elite

Currently enrolled in school via CNED, Nathan has built his schedule around high-level competition.

Mornings are reserved for lessons, before heading to the courts in Palavas where he shares training sessions with several leading figures in French padel, such as  Yoan Boronad, Timéo Fonteny, Thomas Seux, Arthur Hugounenq  or,  Sacha Huard from La Marre .

The sessions follow one another with physical work in the gym at lunchtime, then another training block in the afternoon. For the young Frenchman, training daily in such a group accelerates his progress.

"Playing at that level forces you to raise your own level. You progress much faster."

Nathan also emphasizes the trust placed by  Benjamin Tison  et  Yannick Morel which allowed him to gradually integrate into this training group.

A united French team all the way to the final

A few days before arriving in Lésigny, Nathan Perrot participated in the European Junior Championships with the French team. Beyond the silver medal, he particularly remembers the team cohesion. According to him, this unity played a major role throughout the week.

"We had a very close-knit group. When you feel your whole team behind you, it helps you enormously on the field."

He also highlights the role of the selectors.  Yann Auradou  et  Jeremy Garcia which he considers to be two pillars of the French group.

The French U20 team finished as runners-up in the European Championship after their defeat against Spain in the final of the 2026 European Junior Championship. 

A final that confirms the progress of the French team.

The final against Spain will remain the highlight of this European campaign. After the U14s' defeat, all the pressure rests on Nathan Perrot and Sacha Huard de La Marre. Facing them,  Iago Fuertes considered one of Spain's brightest prospects. The start of the match was encouraging, however. The French quickly created break point opportunities before the Spaniards took control of the first set.

As the match progressed, Yann Auradou adjusted the strategy, notably asking Nathan to avoid Iago Fuertes' strengths and play more parallel shots to force his partner to work. The change paid off. In the second set, the French found their range, managed to break serve, and pushed the Spaniards to a tiebreak.

A few minor details, a bit of pressure, and a slight lack of experience ultimately prevented the French team from forcing a third set. However, Nathan is most focused on the message sent to their rivals.

"We're starting to make them doubt themselves. They came to watch all our matches during the competition. They know the French are coming."

An association that goes beyond the field

For several seasons, Nathan Perrot and Sacha Huard de La Marre have formed one of the most successful pairs of their generation. Their story began during a French youth national team gathering, when  Yannick Morel  decides to pair them up. The understanding is immediate. Victories follow one after another in the National Youth Tournaments before continuing the adventure in the blue jersey.

Sacha's arrival at the Palavas academy last September further strengthened their bond. The two players now train together every day and even share the same accommodation.

"Since he arrived in Palavas, we spend every day together. It has definitely strengthened our bond."

They both share the same dream: to one day become world number one. Nathan clarifies, however, that they remain realistic about the future of their careers. If they ever feel that their respective progress requires a change of partner, they will make that decision, while hoping to write a long chapter of their journey together.

Huard / Perrot, two years of partnership and this is just the beginning!

Happy for Sacha and his experience with the French national team.

This week, Sacha Huard de La Marre was called up as a sparring partner to the French senior national team. Nathan sees this call-up as a logical reward.

"It would be in line with our progress, but we have to make it happen. It won't happen on its own."

He also explained that he understood the staff's choices, who selected different profiles depending on the needs of the gathering. Far from feeling any frustration, he was primarily happy for his teammate.

"I'm just happy for Sacha."

Tapia, a source of inspiration

Nathan is one of the young players who regularly follow the professional circuit. His role model is none other than... Agustín Tapia With Yannick Morel, he works extensively with video analysis to understand how the Argentinian constructs his points. What inspires him most is not just the quality of his shots, but his ability to disrupt the rhythm.

"We try to take inspiration from this pause he creates before playing, so that the opponents never know where the ball is going to go."

A process of observation that gradually nurtures its own identity as a player.

The FIP Promises to continue growing

In Lésigny, Nathan Perrot and Sacha Huard de La Marre will compete in the U16 and U18 categories, respectively. Not being seeded, they could quickly face some of the best Spanish pairs in the tournament. This doesn't faze them. Accustomed to starting from far back in adult tournaments, they approach this competition with the same mindset.

"We're going to try to find our place and take it one game at a time."

The two Frenchmen already know several renowned Spanish players, especially those who regularly play with the national teams, even if they have never faced them.

Nathan Perrot / Sacha Huard de la Marre: French ambitions facing the Spanish challenge at FIP ​​Promises Paris

Objectives geared towards the FIP Tour

For the end of this season, Nathan Perrot isn't focused on a specific ranking. His primary objective is to accumulate enough points to qualify directly for the main draws.  FIP Bronze  et  FIP Silver without going through the qualifying rounds. He also wants to continue his daily progress in Palavas and keep enriching his game.

Finally, he hopes to achieve his first significant results on the international circuit. A quarter-final, or even a semi-final, in a FIP tournament would already represent a new step in his development. At just 16 years old, Nathan Perrot continues to climb the ranks, one after the other, with the ambition of quickly confirming the promise he showed on the junior circuit at the senior 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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