Alix Collombon, the French number 1 in padel, takes stock of her 2024 season and shares her ambitions for 2025. Between changes of partners, promising performances at Roland-Garros and Mexico, and disappointments at the World Championships, it hasn't always been easy. Discover her thoughts on her career, her collaboration with Araceli Martinez and her goals to get closer to the world top 20.

The year 2024 is coming to an end. What is your assessment of this season and what are your feelings?
It's hard to sum up such a long year quickly, but I would say that 2024 has been a mixed year. It started with my partner Julieta Bidahorria, who was coming back from an ACL injury. After six months off, it took her a while to get back into the swing of things. That was understandable, but it made the beginning difficult in terms of results. We often faced top seeds in the first round in majors and P1s, which limited our opportunities to earn points. This had an impact on our confidence and ranking. In July, we made the decision to part ways. Since September 16, I have been playing with Araceli Martinez, and everything is going very well. The content of our matches is very interesting, even against the best pairs. We had a great victory at Roland Garros in the round of 2025 against a seeded player, which gave us momentum. In Mexico, we reached the quarter-finals, a very encouraging result. I hope we continue together in XNUMX, but I prefer to remain cautious in my projections.

What were your best and worst moments of the year?
My best moment? Without a doubt, our quarter-final in Mexico recently. It had been a while since I had reached that stage in a season, so it was a real relief. It was all the more special because it was a major, and the content of the match was good. The worst moment, however, remains the World Championships with the French team. We had a team capable of going for a fourth or even a third place, but we were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Portugal. It was decided by so little in the decisive match. The whole team, including our captain Robin, was very disappointed. Despite this disappointment, it strengthened the bonds within the group. We proved that we are a real united team, and I think that is essential for the future.

Araceli collombon
Colombon
Collombon defeat

How do you see your collaboration with Araceli Martinez? Is it a perspective for 2025?
Yes, ideally, I would like us to continue together. I think we have a lot of room for improvement. When we play well together, our level is really good. Araceli is a young player of 24 years old, with a lot of potential. However, the world of padel is unpredictable. Many pairs, especially in the top, are going to split up at the end of the year. That could turn everything upside down. If no interesting opportunity presents itself for her or for me, I hope we will continue together. Even if the scores are sometimes harsh, like in Mexico against Delfi Brea and Bea González (6/2, 6/2), the content of our matches is encouraging. We also have a great team behind us, with our coaches, which is very motivating for the future.

What are your goals for 2025?
I haven't set any specific goals yet since 2024 is not over, but I want to get closer to world top 20. This year, my ranking has dropped a bit, but I feel like a better player today than I did at the beginning of the season. I think it's important to have progressive goals, focused on the game first and foremost. I've added new variations to my style, and I'm continuing to work on my smash. My goal is to maintain this progression as a player. If I can stay consistent, the results will follow naturally.

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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