What if padel had found a new function: getting top athletes back on their feet? Thomas Carmoy could almost serve as a guinea pig.

The Belgian high jump specialist is having a rather unusual 2026 season. After ankle surgery and nearly three months without being able to jump, the Belgian had to find other ways to maintain his fitness. Weight training, general preparation… and above all, a sport we know well:  padel .

Just days before his return to the European stage, Carmoy himself admitted it: during his convalescence, he played  "A lot about padel" .

From there to presenting the pala as the new indispensable tool for physiotherapists, there's only one step, which we obviously won't take. But the story is certainly amusing.

Three months without jumping, an ankle to rebuild

Thomas Carmoy's season was severely disrupted by ankle pain. Surgery was ultimately required to remove inflammation, scar tissue, and a piece of bone.

For a high jumper, it's hard to imagine a more important joint.

The result: approximately three months without performing any jumps. An eternity for an athlete whose discipline consists precisely of transforming their ankles and legs into springs.

During this period, however, Carmoy did not remain inactive. He continued to work physically and therefore added to his program…  numerous padel games .

Is padel the new rehabilitation method for jumpers?

Warning: no scientific study here allows us to claim that bandejas and viboras repaired Thomas Carmoy's ankle.

But the wink is inevitably tempting.

Because unlike a period of total inactivity, padel allows you to continue moving, working on movement, coordination, reflexes and cardio, with obviously very different constraints than those of a jump of more than two meters.

In Carmoy's case, it is therefore more accurate to speak of a means of  to stay active and maintain general physical fitness  during a period when high jumping was severely restricted, rather than as a true medical method of rehabilitation.

But at Padel MagazineBut one thing is particularly important: when he could no longer jump,  Carmoy could still play padel .

And a few months later, there he was back at the highest European level.

Coincidence? Certainly.

But please give us a few seconds to notify the physiotherapists on the circuit.

Birmingham as a new beginning

Because the story doesn't end with a few games between friends.

After this long period without jumping, Thomas Carmoy has finally been able to gradually resume his sport. While he initially didn't think he would participate in the 2026 European Championships in Birmingham, the Belgian has ultimately secured his place.

After an intensive ten-day training camp and reassuring tests regarding his ankle, he decided to take his chance.

He approaches this competition with a different philosophy. More than an immediate result, Birmingham should allow him to rediscover the feeling of competition and truly kick-start his season.

At 26, the Belgian already has solid international experience, including two European indoor bronze medals and a personal best in  2,29 m .

When will athletes start carrying a pala in their bags?

The Carmoy anecdote mainly illustrates a trend that has been observed for several years: padel is increasingly becoming part of the daily lives of professional athletes from other disciplines.

Football, tennis, motorsports, basketball… and now high jump: the 20 × 10 meter track is becoming as much a leisure area as a fun way to keep moving.

In the case of Thomas Carmoy, we should therefore avoid concluding that padel has miraculously repaired his ankle.

But after three months without jumping,  "A lot of padel" and a return to the European Championships Admit it, the story was far too good for us to let it pass us by.

One essential question remains:  Does Thomas Carmoy smash as high as he jumps? 

Source: lavenir.net / AI image

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.

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