Return on the interview of the champion of France and player of World Padel Tour Bastien Blanqué, Wednesday May 20 in the “Face-to-Face” Live on Instagram.

  • Regarding its containment

I returned from Madrid around March 13 to Toulouse with my parents. I managed to have a good physical interview at home. At times like these, it's still better to be with your family. I am thinking of going back to Madrid in June.

I had a difficult start to the season but I have a team that follows me and with which I worked during this confinement, particularly with my mental trainer. I also worked physically by following a program from Monday to Saturday, things that you don't necessarily have time to work in a full year.

It was to be ready for the recovery that I did all of this!

  • His debut in the padel

Before padel, I played tennis when I was about 4-5 to 10 years old. I played football a lot as a goalkeeper during 7-8 seasons at Blagnac.

I started playing padel at the age of 14, in Blagnac at the association in Padel+ for fun. At the age of 16, I qualified to be part of the France team with Emmanuel Tecles during a tournament in Aix en Provence where we had played very well by beating good teams. And I left at 17 to play the World Championships in Cancun in 2012, it was the first big step in my career.

Jérémy Scatena and Robin Haziza always played in team 1. I played with Alexis and Kevin and Patrick Fouquet played together and we were shooting as team 2 or 3.

When I got to know this sport, it immediately became a real passion. Ten years ago, I didn't think I would become champion of France at all three times.

As I do not come from tennis, I play with my strong points: playing with the windows, the effects, the grids, the angles, my game reading. I enjoy being in defense and I rely on it, I prefer to 'elsewhere be at the bottom than the net.

  • His partners

I started playing amateur competitions with a friend of mine, then Clément Aricot when I started to make official competitions. Then I played with Emmanuel Tecles, Laurent Imbert, Alexis Salles and finally with Johan Bergeron.

For the record, during the qualifying tournament for the 2012 Worlds, Clément Aricot was a little behind in the standings to be able to participate. Emmanuel was in the ranking to be able to participate so we decided to go together by car even though we didn't know each other at all. After the World Championships I played with Laurent until he gradually stopped playing so I teamed up with Alexis Salles afterwards. We play the National Padel Cup against Johan Bergeron and Pierre Etienne Morillon whom we beat. From there, I set up my project in Spain, I call Johan to come with me, who says no to me first, then he decides to follow me on this adventure.

  • Regarding his history at the French Championships with Johan Bergeron

The first season when we go to Spain, we don't know each other with Jo. We get along really well, on the court we complement each other, him with his tennis game forward and hitting hard, and me with my game more padel, more patient. First French Championship, we are going to play it without pressure because if we had lost, people would have said that it had only been a few months since we had left for Spain to train, and if we had won, people would have said that it was normal.

During our second season, we made a complicated start to the year because we lose to Adri and Ben often, in July, against Jérémy Scatena and Maxime Moreau, I was a bit in the hole at the time. It was hard to set up our game during this period. We arrived at the French Championship in Toulouse thinking that it would be difficult given the past year.

Then last year, we had a great season, so we came with confidence compared to the previous year. We had a little fear, that of playing at home, with their public, on their fast courts. But we were so well prepared that we arrived very well.

  • Concerning World Padel Tour

The first year, I play on the international circuit with Jo, we didn't know the circuit at all, we were young. We have a rather average season, but by winning a few games so we decide to continue on a second season together. It's hard to set up our game and play well together on the WPT. At the end of this year, Jo decides to go and train in Barcelona to change the environment, the structure. We had a big discussion, during which we thought it would be good to play with Spaniards with experience and I think it was a good choice.

At the moment, we are open to the idea of ​​replaying together.

  • On his start to the season

I had a very complicated personal start to the season. I had to play with Jordi Muñoz but there were the Spanish championships just before and he only warned me two weeks before the tournament that he could not do Marbella with me. Fortunately, Javier de Paiz, a very good left-hander whom I knew, who has already made a final draw, offered to play with him four days before the registration closed. We had a very good tournament, after a complicated first match.

A very encouraging tournament for the future.

  • Javier de Paiz or Jordi Muñoz?

We will see, it will be played between the two. Whatever happens it is only positive. For now it will surely be more Jordi Muñoz for three tournaments, which was planned. I think his experience can bring me a lot. But if Javier really wants to play with me, we'll see.

  •  Regarding the choice of Robin Haziza

It is a loss for the French men's team. On the right, there will be Bergeron and Tison, and behind there was Robin and behind there was a little less level. There are players: Nico Trancart, Simon Boissé, Loïc Lepanse, Jérémy Ritz. For me Jérémy Ritz plays very well, Jérôme Ferrandez too, he was someone important within the group. Each has its strengths, it will be difficult for the coach to make his choice.

But beyond that it's a chance to have Robin as coach for the France ladies team.

  •  Regarding the choice to change pairs at the European Championship

On the last match, against Italy, we all decided to change the pairs. Benjamin Tison was injured, so we decided to put him in team 1 so that he could warm up well and have a fixed match time. The grounds were very fast, we couldn't get out so we had Scatena and Bergeron, two batter. Robin and I would have played the third game.

Scat had a very good start to the year, we wanted to put him with a very good player: Ben was injured so we put him with Jo. I was disappointed not to be able to play, necessarily it hurt me, but I agreed with this choice.

 

Find the + / Internet users' questions / INSIDE in the podcast here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4l8swEvq7M&t=1598s

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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